One of the most exciting aspects of cricket has always been fast bowling. Fast bowlers are undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in the game due to their pure speed + aggression combined with intimidating the batters. Several legendary cricketers have tested the boundaries of speed, analysing batters and fans alike with cricketing mighty thunderbolts over the years.
In this article, we will look at the fastest bowler ranking, record speeds in different formats of international cricket and top fast bowlers who ever played cricket.
What Defines a Fast Bowler?
In cricket, a fast bowler delivers the ball at over 140 km/h; but extreme pace — usually called ‘express speed’ terminology — consists of bowlers who regularly exceed 150 km/h and ones who rely on speed, bounce, swing and pinpoint precision to trouble batters.
The speeds were recorded via radar guns, and since the advent of these devices it has been much easier to measure and compare the fastest-ever deliveries in the history of cricket.
World Fastest Bowler Ranking (Top 10 Fastest Deliveries Ever)
Here’s a list of the fastest deliveries recorded in international cricket:
Shoaib Akhtar – 161.3 km/h
Shoaib Akhtar, colloquially called the “Rawalpindi Express,” is the fastest bowler to have ever delivered a ball in cricket history. Which he accomplished as the captain of the England team way back in World Cup 2003 vs. He naturally had the fear factor about him, and his pace plus aggressiveness made him one of the most feared bowlers of all time.
Brett Lee – 161.1 km/h
The thing about Brett Lee was, he bowled more than 150 km/h a large number of times. Aside from that 355th wicket in January (2005) against New Zealand, these were incoming deliveries at (compared to Sherman vehicles, or long-haul Marchers these were shells). In his heyday, Lee was one of the best fast bowlers around owing to his action and lethal yorkers.
Shaun Tait – 161.1 km/h
Notorious for his slingy action, Shaun Tait equalled Brett Lee’s speed record. In a comparatively brief career, Tait was one of the fastest bowlers in history as he boasted raw pace.
Jeff Thomson – 160.6 km/h
In the 1970’s, Jeff Thomson was a trailblazer of extreme pace. While technology back then was not advanced, further measurements later proved his amazing speed.
Mitchell Starc – 160.4 km/h
Mitchell Starc is a fast bowler of the modern-day. Swinging the ball at high speeds is dangerous in any form of cricket, and he takes it to another level altogether with white-ball cricket.
Andy Roberts – 159.5 km/h
Brethren, Andy Roberts is part of that legendary West Indies pace attack. He introduced that speed with intelligence, regularly fooling batters with unique kinds of offers.
Fidel Edwards – 157.7 km/h
Fidel Edwards had a special bowling action like Shaun Tait. Then there was his explosive pace, which made him an integral part of the West Indies team.
Mitchell Johnson – 156.8 km/h
An aggressive bowler with the infamous lethal bouncers, now a retired left armed pacer was a different Mitchell Johnson during the 2013-14 Ashes.
Mohammad Sami – 156.4 km/h
Mohammad Sami always bowled quickly but no control. Regardless, he is still one of the quickest bowlers to ever play.
Shane Bond – 156.4 km/h
Shane Bond was extremely quick and accurate as well. His career was plagued with injuries but he was not easy to play against at full strength.
Fastest Bowlers in Modern Cricket
However modern day cricket is not short of talented fast bowlers capable of crossing the 150 km/h threshold at will. Some notable names include:
- Jasprit Bumrah
- Kagiso Rabada
- Mark Wood
- Lockie Ferguson
Some of these bowlers may not break records for speed but have plied their trade effectively due to skills, variations and plain old repetition.
Factors That Influence Bowling Speed
There are few factors that decide how fast a bowler can bowl:
Bowling Action
A streamlined movement promotes the greatest pace with the lowest risk of harm.
Physical Fitness
To have high speeds consistently requires strong legs, core and shoulders.
Pitch Conditions
Pitches that are bouncy and fast help pace bowlers, while sluggish pitches can render speed ineffective.
Equipment & Technology
Bowlers can bowl faster with the safe use of modern training techniques combined with biomechanics analysis.
Evolution of Fast Bowling
The evolution of fast bowling is in the shadows of a few decades. In the 1970s and 1980s,West Indies ruled with menacing pace attacks. In the contemporary world, technology has raised fast bowling to a different level altogether with speed guns and fitness programs.
Bowlers today are not just focused on speed, control reverse swing or even variations such as slower balls and yorkers.
Why Speed Matters in Cricket
One of the most important factors in discomfiting batters has being fast. Balls that travel over 150 km/h dramatically shorten reaction time and batters find it hard to judge line and length. Pace is a weapon that fast bowlers use to force mistakes and take wickets.
But speed is not everything. Success comes from a combination of accuracy, strategy and mental toughness.
Conclusion
The world fastest bowler table lists out all the electrifying players in cricket history. Be it Shoaib Akhtar’s record 161.3 km/h delivery or the pace generation of fast bowlers like Mitchell Starc in contemporary times, fast bowling has always had fans buzzing across the cricketing world.
They are some legendary bowlers but even if records are broken in future these greats of cricket have set benchmark for and the next generation of cricketers follow their foot steps. The attributes of the formative greatest fast bowlers, speed, skill and determination.
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