Though cricket is a game of batting and bowling, often it’s batsmen who steal highlights of a match, and bowlers are celebrated on seldom occasions. But when the fastest bowlers come in the action, even the best batsmen struggle to thrive on the field. We have seen this yesterday when Umran Malik delivered a lightning strike bowl at 150 kmph during IPL 2022.
If this seems fastest to you, what will you say about the top 10 fastest bowlers of all time who throw the ball at a speed more than a cheetah’s running speed?
List of World’s Fastest Bowlers of All-Time
10. Shane Bond (007 )
via:indiatoday
Speed- 156.4 km/hr
The former cricketer from New Zealand was once the man of speed and was famously known as James Bond. His ability to throw the ball at lightning speed made him the most dangerous bowler of NZ after Sir Richard Hadlee.
He was a right-armed fast bowler of the team and had the 10th best striking rate in ODIs. Bond retired in 2009 due to several injuries and later trained cricketers. He was also the coach of Mumbai Indians in 2015.
Also Read: Who is Umran Malik- Know Everything About This Pace Sensation of SRH
9. Mohammad Sami
via:kreedon
Speed- 156.4 km/hr
Pakistan had the best bowlers in the world; one of them was Mohammad Sami who was second-best in their cricket history. He took around 85 wickets in test matches and more than 100 in ODIs.
8. Mitchell Johnson
via:cricketaustralia
Speed- 156.8 km/hr
One of the best bowlers from Australia and the fastest of all time is Mitchell Johnson who was as quick as flash. Also known as Notch, Mitchell gave his best ever performance in 2013 when he bowled at 156.8 km/hr.
He also broke the record of Brett Lee is taking most test wickets for Australia. Around the world, he ranked as 3rd highest wicket-taker after Wasim Akram and Chaminda Vaas. Mitchell retired in 2015, the same year when he lifted World Cup with the team.
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7. Javagal Srinath
via:timesofindia
Speed- 157 km/hr
The name of this fastest bowler from India comes after Kapil Dev in taking test wickets. He took 300+ wickets in ODIs ( fastest ever to take ). Talking about bowling speed, he was known to deliver bowl at 157 km/hr.
6. Andy Roberts
via:thecricketmonthly
Speed- 159.5 km/hr
Andy is a man of many achievements. He was the first player from Antigua to play for West Indies and gave several stunning performances throughout his 9-years long international career. Andy’s quick bowling style earned him the name ‘Jaw Breaker’.
5. Mitchell Starc
via:cricketaddictor
Speed- 160.4 km/hr
All the above fastest bowlers of all time could not cross the mark of 160 km/hr, but it was a piece of cake for Australian player Mitchell. The left-arm bowler swept many batsmen and became the highest wicket-taker in 2 World Cups.
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4. Jeffrey Thomson
via:hscicdn
Speed- 160.6 km/hr
Batters were afraid of Australian bowler Jeffrey Thomson and could barely stay on the field. Around 200 test wickets are in his bucket list.
3. Shaun Tait
via:cricketaustralia
Speed- 161.1 km/hr
Batsmen struggled to predict the ball when Shaun Tait used to be on the field. He was ‘The Wild Thing’ and known to be one of the quickest bowlers during the 2010s. However, Shaun did not get a chance to play much and played only 3 test matches but he did earn the title of being the fastest bowler in history.
2. Brett Lee
via:foxsports
Speed- 161.1 km/hr
Only one step below to world’s fastest bowler is former Australian cricketer Brett Lee. He was an accurate, fast, and deadly bowler of his time. Lee was a key player in the team and has given striking performances in the 2003 and 2007 World Cup when his team lifted the trophy.
01. Shoaib Akhtar- World’s Fastest Bowler
Speed- 161.3 km/hr
Pakistan’s fastest and also the world’s fastest bowler in the history of cricket is none other than Shoaib Akhtar. He achieved the 100 miles per hour feat twice in his 14 years of international career. Akhtar took 178 wickets in test matches and 247 in ODIs.
No fresh bowlers have ever succeeded to break the records of these fastest bowlers.