Who is the World’s Fastest Bowler? Checkout the list of Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in the World
With sheer velocity and raw power, bowlers have consistently run shocks down the spine of world-class batsmen. Cricket has often been considered the batsmen’s sport, but numerous fast bowlers have given batsmen a tough time on the cricket battlefields. Among them, the Fastest Bowlers of England have stood out, delivering fierce and unrelenting pace that challenges even the most skilled batsmen.
Supported by their breathtaking pace and exhilarating experiences, these fast-bowling thunderbolts have exceeded the expectations from the game. The lightning-fast delivery of fast bowlers has easily paved the way towards the wickets while completely deceiving the batsmen standing on the other end, as the time seems to standstill.
The hunt to find the world’s fastest bowler remains challenging due to the availability of multiple candidates who deserve the coveted title. However, with consistent performances and after repeatedly bowling the fastest balls in cricket, we do have a winner.
Fast bowlers or speed guns of cricket have always made the game more entertaining and anticipated to watch with their unbeatable speed and accuracy. After seeing the brilliance of fast bowlers, the spectators are left in or send the batsmen back to the team’s dugout with their unique strategies.
From fiery legendary Australians to Pakistan’s speed merchants, numerous fast bowlers have marked their names in bold in the pantheon of fast bowling. In this article, we’ll check out the Top 10 All-Time fastest bowlers in the world who have shattered the speed barriers and have unlocked the milestones of delivering the fastest balls in the game.
FASTEST BOWLERS IN CRICKET
1 Shoaib Akhtar (161.3 km/h)
The Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, popularly known as Rawalpindi Express, has been declared the world’s fastest bowler for his consistent ability to deceive the bowlers with his caste-based bowling attacks.
The fastest ball in cricket was delivered by Shoaib Akhtar at an impressive speed of 161.3 km/h to the left-handed batsman Nick Knight, in the 3.5 overs of Pakistan’s match against England on 22 February 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa, during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003.
Shoaib Akhtar has been the most lethal bowler during his era and has also been the nightmare of batsmen. Legendary attacking and destructive Indian batsmen such as Navjot Singh Sidhu have gone on the record and claimed Shoaib. Akhtar has been his nightmare. Averaging over 150 km/h in most matches and 444 wickets in his career, Shoaib Akhtar has delivered Pakistan’s fastest balls in cricket.
2 Brett Lee (161.1 km/h)
The Australian speed gun, Brett Lee, has been one of the most deadly fast bowlers in the sport’s history. Lee became the fastest bowler in the land of kangaroos, wherein fast bowling has made the most successful roots, along with being the second fastest bowler in the world.
Brett Lee registered the second-fastest ball in Cricket at a speed of 161.1 km/h against the team’s archrivals New Zealand in 2005 at Napier, New Zealand. With his sharp bouncers and menacing Yorkers, Brett Lee had an answer to dismiss every batsman while strategising his slower ones and good length balls.
With his unique ability of amalgamating, aggression, velocity, and accuracy, Lee became one of the deadliest weapons of the Australian squad. Brett Lee has sole-handily Won the Australian cricket team multiple games, as he has dismissed 718 batsmen for his national side during his career while averaging over one 50 km/h in most of his matches.
3 Shaun Tait (161.1 km/h)
Shaun Tait cannot be missed in the list of Top 10 All-Time fastest bowlers in the world as he takes the number three spot on the prestigious list. Shaun has tied with his teammate, Brett Lee, as the duo have delivered their fastest ball in Cricket at the same speed of 161.1 km/h.
Shaun Tait bowled his fastest ball in international cricket at 161.1 km/h speed during the team’s match against Pakistan in 2010 in Melbourne, Australia, during the later stages of his career in a T20I game.
Even though Shaun Tait has played only 59 matches across all formats for Australia, he is still widely regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He got his breakthrough in international cricket for his monstrous speed. He has had a remarkable bowling record in the ODI, as he dismissed 62 batsmen in only 35 one-day international matches he has played.
4 Jeffrey Thomson (160.6 km/h)
Another Australian fast-pace bowler has made it huge for the team with his destructive bowling attacks. Jeffrey Thomson was a scary sight for the batsmen during his prime years. The opponents used to attempt to stand relaxed at the other end of the pitch as he came with his sharp yorkers.
Jeffrey Thomson delivered his fastest ball in cricket at the speed of 160.6 km/h against West Indies in the team match at their home ground in Perth, Australia, in 1975. With the valuable support of Dennis Lillee, the fast bowling duo became a nightmare for batsmen as they built a striking partnership of consistent, sharp bowling attacks.
He played a crucial role for the Australian cricket team in the 70s and early 80s, taking 200 Test wickets and 55 ODI wickets in his career from 1972 to 1985.
5 Mitchell Starc (160.4 km/h)
Mitchell Starc has been widely regarded as the best and fastest bowler of the world in modern-day cricket. Starc is the only active bowler in this prestigious list of the Top 10 All-Time fastest bowlers in the world.
Mitchell Starc bowled his fastest delivery at a speed of 160.4 km/h against their archrivals New Zealand during the test match in 2015 at Perth, Australia. Starc has been phenomenal in test cricket, as he has picked up 255 wickets in the longest format of the game.
The 31-year-old pace bowler has had numerous records under his name; he became the highest wicket-taker in two consecutive ICC Cricket World Cups in 2015 and 2019. Despite his trip and performances in recent months, Mitchell Starc has been unmissable for the selectors due to his striking records, Blunt Yorkers and high wicket-taking abilities.
6 Andy Roberts (159.5 km/h)
The legendary West Indian bowler Andy Roberts takes the sixth spot on the list of Top 10 All-Time World’s fastest bowlers. Andy was a valuable part of the most destructive West Indies Cricket team squad as they paved their way towards victory in the 1st two ICC Cricket World Cups in 1975 and 1979.
Andy Roberts bowled his fastest delivery at a speed of 159.5 km/h against Australia during a match in 1975 in Perth, Australia. Andy Roberts was a nightmare for the batsmen during the 70s decade as he consistently picked up wickets for his national side.
Andy Roberts also became one of the first fastest bowlers in the world who consistently staggered the ball like a knife towards the batsmen at a speed above 150 km/h. He has picked up 202 test wickets and 87 ODI wickets during his career for the West Indies cricket team.
7 Fidel Edwards (157.7 km/h)
The former West Indies bowler Fidel Edwards made his debut for the West Indies in 2003. His major breakthrough came much ahead in his career as he was instantly regarded as one of the fastest bowlers in the world.
Fidel Edwards’ bowled his fastest delivery at a speed of 157.7 km/h against South Africa during the team’s match at their home ground in 2003. For his lightning-fast delivery, he even earned a call back from the West Indies cricket team in 2021 for T20I matches and the team’s tour in Sri Lanka after numerous years.
Unfortunately, Fidel Edwards could not make a major impact with his skills on the world and did not live up to the expectations for long. In his career, Edwards took 165 test wickets and 60 ODI wickets for the West Indies cricket team.
8 Mitchell Johnson (156.8 km/h)
The Australian fast-pace bowler Mitchell Johnson has taken the eighth spot on the list of Top 10 All-Time World’s fastest bowlers. Undoubtedly, Johnson has been one of the most feared bowlers in touring his active years. His thunderbolt deliveries shocked many batsmen as the ball seemed almost invisible to them.
Mitchell Johnson unlocked his fastest delivery at a speed of 156.8 km/h against England during the Ashes 2013 at the MCG, Australia. Johnson showcased a consistent streak of stellar performances against England and South Africa in eight back-to-back test matches. During these eight matches, Johnson sent back 59 batsmen to the dugout at 15.23 with his sharp bouncers and good length bowling. Mitchell Johnson’s performance awarded him the prestigious Allan Border Medal at the young age of 32.
Mitchell Johnson is one of the most successful bowlers on this list. The Australian fast bowler has taken 313 test wickets, 239 ODI wickets and 38 T20I wickets in his international career. Mitchell Johnson has also been an active part of Australian triumphs such as the Ashes 2013 victory (with his 39 wickets) and the team’s impeccable victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
9 Mohammad Sami (156.4 km/h)
The fast-pace bowler Mohammad Sami is the second-fastest bowler in the history of the Pakistan cricket team. Without any doubt, Pakistan has produced one of the best fast bowlers in the world, and Mohammad Sami is one of them.
The swing bowling specialist Mohammad Sami bowled his fastest delivery at a speed of 156.4 km/h against Zimbabwe during the team’s ODI series at their home ground in 2003. Mohammad Sami once made headlines as the speed meter recorded his fastest delivery at a speed of 164 km/h during Pakistan’s ODI Match. However, it was later revealed by Cricket officials that it was a technical failure by the speed meter.
Mohammad Sami has been a brilliant pick for the Pakistan cricket team in the ODIs. Over the years in his international career, Sami has picked 85 Test wickets and 121 ODI wickets.
10 Shane Bond (156.4 km/h)
New Zealand’s striking fast-pace bowler Shane Bond has been widely renowned for his toe-crushing Yorkers as he deceived the bowlers with his impeccable lightning-fast deliveries. Shane Bond has served as one of the fastest bowlers for the New Zealand cricket team, which has awarded him the tenth spot in the list of the Top 10 All-Time fastest bowlers in the world.
The Kiwi bowler, Shane Bond, registered his fastest ball in cricket at the speed of 156.4 km/h against India during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2003. Shane Bond’s striking ability to make the ball swing late and deceive the batsmen at the last moment to grab their wicket has been widely appreciated by cricket experts.
Shane Bond’s biggest feet as he dismissed his team’s archrivals Skipper, Ricky Ponting, in all the six back-to-back ODIs they played against each other. The Black Caps fast bowler took 87 Test wickets, 147 ODI wickets, and 27 T20I wickets in his international career.
Fast Bowlers in Modern Day Cricket
The list of striking fast bowlers who have made the cricket careers of the batsmen a living hell is never-ending. Every now and then, a new star bowler breaks through and makes an impactful mark on the world with his skills and abilities.
As Cricket experts and professionals popularly say, ‘Records are meant to be broken’. Nobody can completely replace the legacy set by previous legendary players, but there can be new breakthroughs and new burst-out-in-the-scene players, whom we can expect to set more unrealistic records.
In the above-presented list, we have discussed one of the fastest bowlers in the history of Cricket, who had created havoc on the field with their lightning-fast bowling speed. Moving further, we now present you with a batch of some raw talent and current-day fast bowlers who have made a significant impact with their fast bowling skills.
They might not have matched up to their predecessors, but they have pretty much declared that they are equally or more or less capable of setting new records to become the fastest bowlers in the world in the future.
Here is the list of the Top 10 Modern fast bowlers in the world who have overcome speed barriers and have burst out into the scene to generate interesting comparisons with the legends and create an identity for themselves in the field of fastest bowlers in the world.
1 Lockie Ferguson (157.3 km/h)
The New Zealand fast bowler, Lockie Ferguson, has delivered some of the fastest deliveries in cricket, which have completely beaten the batsmen. Over the years, Ferguson has become a crucial part of the New Zealand cricket team’s bowling squad because of his bowling abilities ranging around a speed of 150 km/h.
Loki Ferguson’s fastest delivery came at the speed of 157.3 km/h during the popular T20 tournament, the Indian Premier League, as he played for the Gujarat Titans team franchisee during their match against Rajasthan Royals in 2022.
Unfortunately, as part and parcel of being a fast bowler, Lockie Ferguson has suffered a string of injuries which have cost him missing important matches for months. In his cricket career, he picked up 85 ODI and 43 T20I wickets for the Kiwis.
2 Umran Malik (157 km/h)
Umran Malik has been a golden find for the Indian cricket team since he has consistently registered thunder fast delivery, a speed of about 150 km/h. The fast pacer from Jammu and Kashmir might not have become the fastest bowler in the world, but he certainly shows the ability to do as he became the fastest bowler the Indian cricket team has ever produced.
Umran Malik’s fastest delivery came at the speed of 157 km/h during the renowned domestic T20 tournament, the Indian Premier League, as he played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad team franchise during their match against Delhi Capitals in 2022.
Notably, his previous fastest delivery was registered at 153.3 km/h, only months before his record-breaking delivery came. Umran Malik has just played eight T20I matches for the Indian cricket team and has already picked up 11 wickets. The young fast bowler is expected to make a huge impact on his national side in the future in international cricket.
3 Anrich Nortje (156.2 km/h)
The South African pace bowler Anrich Nortje has been a speed gun for his national team since debuting for them in international cricket. With his fearsome bouncers, Anrich Nortje has consistently been a part of the ICC T20I Best bowler rankings.
Anrich Nortje’s fastest ball in cricket was recorded at a speed of 156.2 km/h during the Indian Premier League as he played for the Delhi Capitals team franchise during their match against Rajasthan Royals in 2022. This delivery made him the fastest bowler for the South African cricket team.
Anrich Nortje has been absolutely sensational in red-ball cricket. Over the years in his career, Anrich Nortje has played just 19 test matches for his national side but has picked up 70 wickets with an average of 26.71 which has been remarkable and widely appreciated by cricket fans.
4 Mark Wood (156.1 km/h)
The English fast bowler Mark Wood has had some impactful and phenomenal innings for the England cricket team. Wood has been an important layer for England’s bowling line-up since their fast bowlers have recently experienced a string of injuries.
Mark Wood made headlines as he bowled his personal fastest delivery at a speed of 156.1 km/h against New Zealand in June 2021. Even though Mark Wood has not been a consistently crucial player for the England cricket team, he has acted as a good replacement for their Star Bowler, Jofra Archer, ever since he was injured.
Mark Wood has the capabilities of becoming a main player rather than just a replacement, and he can rise up to hire rankings with this consistent pace and the advantage of being tall, which lands him a good bounce on the field.
5 Dale Steyn (155.7 km/h)
Widely renowned as the Steyn Gun, Dale Steyn has been one of the best fast bowlers in modern Day cricket. Dale Steyn had been South Africa’s biggest weapon to dismiss the troublesome batsmen who were not ready to leave the pitch.
While his teammates used to bowl, he launched rockets at batsmen with thunder-fast deliveries ranging above 150 km/h. With speed and accuracy, Dale Steyn bowled his fastest delivery at a spFromeed of 155.7 km/h against New Zealand.
Dales Steyn’s retirement has given the batsmen a sigh of relief, but there is no doubt that he can be called the best fast bowler in the world of the modern era. Steyn has collectively picked up 699 wickets in his international career for South Africa, taking 439 Test wickets, 196 ODI wickets, and 64 T20I wickets.
6 Lasith Malinga (155.7 km/h)
One cannot miss the name of Lasith Malinga when it comes to the list of Top 10 Modern fast bowlers in the world. Adjectives like lethal, destructive and many more fell short in front of this Sri Lanka fast-pace bowler who has been a nightmare for the batsmen.
Legendary batsmen such as Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli have openly talked about how fearsome Lasith Malinga used to look from the other end. Lasith Malinga bowled his fastest ball in cricket at the speed of 155.7 km/h during Sri Lanka’s match against New Zealand at the Wankhede stadium, Mumbai, during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.
Malinga’s toe-crushing Yorkers have blown away the wickets numerous times. Malinga has been phenomenal in white-ball cricket as he dismissed the batsmen 101 times in Test cricket, 338 times in ODIs and 107 in T20I for the Sri Lanka cricket team.
7 Mohammad Hasnain (155.1 km/h)
The Pakistan fast bowler, Mohammad Hasnain, has been a decent find for his national team since he has consistently averaged bowling over 140 km/h.
The 23 -year-old has had a good track record for the team in the short format of the game.
Mohammad Hasnain bowled his fastest ball in cricket at the speed of 155.1 km/h during the Caribbean Premier League. His boy has given hope to the Pakistan cricket team to find a new fast-pace bowler who can live up to the expectations as their predecessors did.
Mohammad Hasnain has picked up 12 wickets in ODIs, and 25 wickets in the T20I matches he has played in his international career.
8 Jofra Archer (154.6 km/h)
The English fast bowler Jofra Archer has been one of the most anticipated fast bowlers in the world in modern Day cricket. He has been an amazing find for the England team with his attacking bowling abilities.
Jofra’s smooth bowling run-up and action make his bowling seem like an easy one to play, but as soon as the ball reaches the batsmen with a thundering speed, they are likely to be deceived and lose their wicket. Jofra Archer made a dream debut at the Ashes, where he bowled his fastest ball in Cricket yet at the speed of 154.6 km/h.
Even though this bowling speed is far away from making Archer the fastest bowler in the world, it certainly gives him a stand in the list of the Top 10 Modern fast bowlers in the world.
9 Wahab Riaz (154.5 km/h)
Even though Wahab Riaz is not one of Pakistan’s best fast bowlers, considering their history in the sport, he certainly has the potential to live up to them. While averaging over 145 km/h, Wahab Riaz has been a good weapon for the Pakistan cricket team.
Wahab Riaz bowled his fastest ball in cricket at the speed of 154.5 km/h during the team’s match against their archrivals India during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
Riaz has been an active participant in the shortest format of the game and has been a major participant in many T20, domestic and international leagues. In his international career, he has picked up 83 test wickets, 120 ODI wickets and 34 T20 wickets.
10 Kagiso Rabada (154.2 km/h)
Kagiso Rabada has been an active member of the South African cricket team squad for quite some time now. The 28-year-old fast bowler has a long way to go for his national side.
Rabada has actively performed well for every team he plays, be it his national side or the team franchises in various T20 leagues. Kagiso Rabada bowled his personal fastest ball in cricket at the speed of 154.2 km/h for the Delhi Capitals team franchise in 2019, making it one of the fastest deliveries to be ever bowled in the Indian Premier League.
FAQ
Who has bowled the fastest ball in cricket?
Shoaib Akhtar bowled the fastest ball in the world and history of Cricket at the speed of 161.3 km/h against England in 2003.
Who is the fastest India bowler in Cricket?
Umrah Malik is the fastest Indian bowler in Cricket. He has bowled 157 kmph in an IPL game against Delhi Capitals.
