Who Is The Fastest Bowler In The World?

Seeing a fast bowler excites everyone when he is bowling at a speed of more than 150 kmph where the batter is unable to play due to his sheer pace and bounce. But you know bowling fast is actually a skill that requires a lot of practice and training to surprise a batsman. Through this article, we are going to tell you about 5 fast bowlers in cricketing history who have dominated every batsman, with their sensational speed and are considered the maestro of the game.

Top 5 fastest bowlers in cricketing history

1. Shoaib Akhtar

Shoaib Akhtar, also known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express,’ is the fastest bowler in cricket history, he represented the Pakistani cricket team from 1997 to 2009 in international cricket, where he played more than 200 games in three formats, picking more than 400 wickets in his career of 12 years.

Shoaib Akhtar is one of the fastest bowlers in the world, who used to be known for his blistering pace and the ability to intimidate even the best batter. It started when Akhtar bowled his fastest bowl in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003 against England, he bowled his fastest ball in Cricket history at a speed of 161.3 km/hr (100.2mph), which was a major cricket news all over the world. Till then, no one has beaten his record. 

2. Shaun Tait 

Shaun Tait was one of the quickest bowlers in the world after former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar. Tait has represented the Australian cricket team in 59 international matches, where he has picked a total of 95 wickets. 

Tait earned the nickname “The Wild Thing” for his pace. Throughout his career, he consistently delivered fast deliveries, often reaching speeds of up to 155 kmph.  During a T20I match in February 2010, Tait bowled a delivery at 161.1 kmph, against England, marking the fastest-recorded ball in Australia’s cricket history. Shaun Tait announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in March 2017.

3. Brett Lee 

The former Australian bowler was considered as one of the greatest bowlers in international cricket for his unbelievable records and performances for the Australian team. This right-arm fast bowler has been part of the Australian team for more than 300 matches in three formats, where he picked more than 600 wickets for Men in Yellow.

During his peak, Brett Lee, not only used to dominate with swingers and accuracy but also with his sheer pace, which he showed in the game against New Zealand when he bowled a delivery at a speed of  161.1 km/hr (100.1mph) IN 2005. It was recorded as the third-fastest bowl in the cricketing world. Brett Lee was also the part of World Cup-winning team Australia in 2003 and 2007

4. Jeffrey Thompson

On number 4 we have another former Australian fast bowler in the list Jeffrey Thompson, who used to represent the Australian team from 1972 to 1985, where he picked more than 250 wickets in 100 games for the Kangaroos. From being one of the best batters during that time, Thomspon was also one of the quickest bowlers in the history of cricket.

During 1975 against West Indies at Perth Jeffrey, bowled a delivery with a speed of 160.6 km/h, which was the fastest recorded delivery at the time, and the fourth-fastest recorded delivery of all time.

5. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc is currently the number 1 fast bowler in the world who has represented the Australian team since 2010 in all three formats. This left-arm bowler is the most experienced bowler, from the Men in Yellow, who has got 500 wickets till now in three formats while playing a total of 270 games for the Kangaroos. 

He bowled at a speed of 160.4 km/hr (99.7mph) in the Match  Against  New Zealand in 2015.

Apart from these 5 players, there are more international players who are known for their fast bowling skills in international cricket like, West Indies Andy Roberts, Fidel Edwards and Australia’s Mitchell Johnson.