The Greatest Fast Bowlers of All Time

The Greatest Fast Bowlers of All Time

Throughout the history of cricket, there have been several exceptional fast bowlers who have left their mark on the sport for years to come.

Today we will take a closer look at the ten greatest fast bowlers of all time.

Let’s see who made the list.

Dale Steyn

  • Years active:  2004–2020
  • Born: 1983, South Africa 
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast
  • Number of Test matches played: 93
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 26
    • Bowling average: 22.95
    • Best bowling: 7/51
  • Number of ODI matches played: 125
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 3
    • Bowling average: 25.95
    • Best bowling: 6/39
  • Teams: South Africa, Cape Cobras, Essex, Hampshire, Kandy Tuskers, Warwickshire, Cape Town Blitz, Glamorgan, Titans

Dale Steyn, one of South Africa’s best fast bowlers, was known for his extreme pace, ability to swing the ball both ways and astonishing accuracy. 

He dominated the ICC Test rankings during the peak of his career, holding the number one spot for a record-breaking 263 weeks, more than any other bowler. 

Steyn ended his career in 2021 with 439 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 22.95 and a strike rate of 42.30, making him the eighth-highest wicket-taker in Tests as well as the only one on that list to play in under 100 games. 

James Anderson 

  • Years active: ​​2002–2022
  • Born: 1982, England 
  • Bowling style: Right-arm Fast medium
  • Number of Test matches played: 169
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 31
    • Bowling average: 26.58
    • Best bowling: 7/42
  • Number of ODI matches played: 194
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 2
    • Bowling average: 29.22
    • Best bowling: 5/23
  • Teams: England, Auckland, England Under-19s, Lancashire

James Anderson is one of the most prolific quicks of all time and the only active player on our list of the greatest fast bowlers. 

Anderson was the first English cricketer to get to 400, 500 and 600 wickets in Tests and is still the only fast bowler to have captured more than 600 wickets in Test matches. With a total of 640 Test wickets taken, cricket statistics put Anderson as the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers and the third-highest wicket-taker overall. 

On top of that, he is the English player with the most wickets taken in ODIs (269), as well as England’s most capped player, having competed for the national team in over 160 Test matches. 

Waqar Younis

  • Years active:  1989–2003
  • Born: 1971, Pakistan
  • Bowling style: Right-arm Fast
  • Number of Test matches played: 87
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 22
    • Bowling average: 23.56
    • Best bowling: 7/76
  • Number of ODI matches played: 262
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 13
    • Bowling average: 23.84
    • Best bowling: 7/36
  • Teams: Pakistan, Glamorgan, Lahore, Surrey

Younis was best known for his ability to bowl a reverse swing at lighting speed, helping him scalp an amazing 373 Test and 416 ODI wickets throughout his career. 

Together with bowling partner Wasim Akram, Pakistan’s two Ws intimidated international batsmen in the 1990s and formed one of the most successful bowling partnerships in cricket history.

Despite controversies regarding ball-tampering, Younis remains one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He is also the youngest bowler to capture 400 wickets in ODI cricket and has one of the best strike rates in Tests (43.4) among bowlers with a minimum of 10,000 deliveries, second only to Dale Steyn.

Courtney Walsh

  • Years active: 1982–2001
  • Born: 1962, Jamaica
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast 
  • Number of Test matches played: 132
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 22
    • Bowling average: 24.44
    • Best bowling: 7/37
  • Number of ODI matches played: 205
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 1
    • Bowling average: 30.47
    • Best bowling: 5/1
  • Teams: West Indies, Gloucestershire, Jamaica

This former Jamaican cricketer had a very impressive career in Test cricket, taking 519 wickets across 132 Test matches. Not only did he become the highest wicket-taker in Tests in 2000, thereby breaking the previous six-year record of Kapil Dev; but he was also the first bowler to reach 500 wickets. 

Walsh was also a successful captain, leading the West Indies in 22 Tests. He still holds the record as the best captain bowler for a Test match, taking 13 wickets in 1995.

After retiring as a player, Walsh followed in the footsteps of his many football colleagues and took up coaching. He currently serves as the head coach of the West Indies women’s national cricket team.

Curtly Ambrose

source: wisden
  • Years active: 1985-2000
  • Born: 1963,  Antigua and Barbuda
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast 
  • Number of Test matches played: 98
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 22
    • Bowling average: 20.99
    • Best bowling: 8/45
  • Number of ODI matches played: 176
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 4
    • Bowling average: 24.12
    • Best bowling: 5/17
  • Teams: West Indies, Leeward Island, Northamptonshire

At 6ft 7ins, Curtly Ambrose was an imposing figure in world cricket. Thanks to his height and high arm action, he could get the ball to bounce unusually high after delivery, which coupled with accuracy and pace, made him a difficult bowler for many batsmen. 

His bowling style also relied on capturing several wickets consecutively, devastating the opposition in the process. In fact, during one of his best performances against Australia in 1993 Ambrose took seven wickets while conceding a single run.

Widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers ever, Curtly Ambrose topped the ICC Player Rankings for the greater part of his career. 

Glenn McGrath

source: wisden
  • Years active: 1993-2007
  • Born: 1970, Australia 
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast medium
  • Number of Test matches played: 124
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 29
    • Bowling average: 21.64
    • Best bowling: 8/24
  • Number of ODI matches played: 250
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 7
    • Bowling average: 22.02
    • Best bowling: 7/15
  • Teams: Australia, Middlesex, Delhi Daredevils, New South Wales

Glenn McGrath was a fast-medium pace bowler whose consistency in maintaining an accurate line and length made him Australia’s finest international fast bowler and one of the biggest contributors to the country dominating world cricket in the 1900s and 200s.  

He retired in 2009, ending his 14-year remarkable career with 563 Test wickets—the second most successful wicket-taker among fast bowlers. 

He also held several notable records throughout his career, including the record for dismissing the most batsmen for ducks in Tests (104, surpassed by James Anderson in 2021), and the record for most wickets in an edition of the World Cup (26, surpassed by Mitchell Starc in 2019). 

Richard Hadlee

source: wisdem
  • Years active: 1973-1990 
  • Born: 1951, New Zealand 
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast
  • Number of Test matches played: 86
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 36
    • Bowling average: 22.29
    • Best bowling: 9/52
  • Number of ODI matches played: 115
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 5
    • Bowling average: 21.56
    • Best bowling: 5/25
  • Teams: New Zealand, Canterbury, Nottinghamshire, Tasmania

Sir Richard Hadlee’s name was written down in the history of cricket as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time when he became the first player to take 400 wickets in 79 Test matches. He also had the best single innings bowling figures by any fast bowler in the 20th century (9/52 in the 1st innings in 1985 against Australia) and was the second-fastest bowler to take five-wicket hauls in 24 Tests. 

In addition to his unquestioned fast bowling skills, Hadlee was also a hard-hitting batsman. One of the four great all-rounders of the 80s, the original ‘Sultan of Swing’ was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

Related: Richest cricketers in the world

Malcolm Marshall

source: espncricinfo
  • Years active: 1978-1992 
  • Born: 1958, Barbados
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast
  • Number of Test matches played: 81
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 22
    • Bowling average: 20.94
    • Best bowling: 7/22
  • Number of ODI matches played: 136
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 0
    • Bowling average: 26.96
    • Best bowling: 4/18
  • Teams: West Indies, Barbados, Hampshire, Natal

With a phenomenal average of 20.95 and a strike rate of 46.22 achieved while taking 376 wickets, Malcolm Marshall was second to none in Test cricket. Often referred to as the ‘most complete fast bowlers’ and recognized as one of the best West Indian fast bowlers ever, Marshall’s pace and bounce were feared by batsmen everywhere. 

He also possessed massive cricket intelligence, stamina and a wickedly fast arm. The only thing he seemed to be lacking was height—at 5 ft 11 in, he was shorter than Walsh and Ambrose, but even this he used to his advantage. 

His tragic death in 1999 was mourned throughout the whole cricket world.

Wasim Akram

source: wisdem
  • Years active: 1984-2003
  • Born: 1966, Pakistan
  • Bowling style: Left arm Fast 
  • Number of Test matches played: 104
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 25
    • Bowling average: 23.62
    • Best bowling: 7/119
  • Number of ODI matches played: 356
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 6
    • Bowling average: 23.52
    • Best bowling: 5/15
  • Teams: Pakistan, Lancashire, Hampshire

Akram or the ‘Sultan of Swing’ was one of those rare talents who had complete mastery over swing, becoming one of the greatest swing bowlers in the game. 

Akram was a force to be reckoned with on the field, winning a total of 17 Man-of-the-Match awards in Test matches and 22 in ODIs. He is also widely regarded as the best left-arm fast bowler in cricket history as well as one of the most successful fast bowlers of all time. 

What’s more, he was the first-ever to reach the 500 wickets landmark in ODIs and ended his career as Pakistan’s top wicket-taker in both Tests and ODIs.

He is also known as one of the most beautiful cricketers in the world.

Kapil Dev

source: wisdem
  • Years active: 1978–1994
  • Born: 1959, India
  • Bowling style: Right arm Fast medium
  • Number of Test matches played: 131
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 23
    • Bowling average: 29.64
    • Best bowling: 9/83
  • Number of ODI matches played: 225
    • Number of five-wicket hauls: 1
    • Bowling average: 27.45
    • Best bowling: 5/43
  • Teams: India, Haryana, Northamptonshire, Worcestershire

Known for his accuracy when swinging the ball as well as when hitting it, Kapil Dev is often regarded as India’s finest pace bowler and one of the sport’s greatest all-rounders. 

In 1994, Dev became the highest wicket-taker in Tests in the world (434 wickets), a record broken by Courtney Walsh in 1999. To this day, though, he is still the only player to achieve 4,000 Test runs and 400 Test wickets.

Dev also led the Indian Cricket Team to victory at the 1983 World Cup, becoming not only the first Indian captain to win the Cricket World Cup, but also the youngest to win the Cup for any team. 

Bottom Line 

Even though this list is too short to comprise all of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history, we hope that we have introduced you to some of the most beloved, respected and skilled fast bowlers. 

You might also be interested in:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *