Fast bowling is considered to be one of the most difficult things in cricket. The bowlers have to run in long yards and keep bowling over after over in search of a reward. With the modern playing rules involving bigger bats, smaller boundaries, batting wickets, the task of a fast bowler has become even more difficult. But there have been few bowlers who have risen above the challenges and have put on a show for the world to watch. These are the fast bowlers who make our game exciting. They challenge the best of the best. Top-quality fast bowlers often end up winning games for their teams single-handedly. Here are the top 5 fast bowlers in the world cricket.
StumpsandBails ranks top 5 fast bowlers in the world currently:
A look at who the premier fast bowlers in the world are currently and what distinguishes them from the rest of the pack.
#5 Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer exploded into the international scene in 2019. He was fast-tracked into the England team for the ODI World Cup. Archer fittingly bowled the super-over in the World Cup finals. He was then selected to play for the ashes. Archer’s battle with Steve Smith is an Ashes highlight. His susceptible pace often catches batsmen with surprise. He has a mean bouncer and a cunning knuckle ball. Archer’s numbers across formats don’t really justify his skill and talent. England have been far too conservative in playing Archer regularly. His 42 games across formats reiterate the same theory. Archer has 3 5-wicket hauls in his 13 Test short career up until now. The India series and Ashes tour down under will be Archer’s biggest challenge yet.
#4 Trent Boult
Trent Boult is one of the most potent swing bowlers in the world currently. The fact that he gets to swing the ball at pace makes him a dangerous prospect. Boult’s left-handedness gives him that unique advantage. He can test the best of the right-handed batsman with his skill. His inswinger to dismiss Virat Kohli in the 2019 semi-finals isn’t lost on anyone.
Boult has 281 Test wickets in 71 matches at an average of 28 and a strike rate of 56.3. His ODI numbers are impressive too. He has 169 wickets in 93 ODI’s at an average of 25.2 and a strike rate of 30.3. Boult is yet to ace the T20 format, he is a bit expensive yet remains a wicket-taker in the shortest format too.
#3 Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada has single-handedly led the Proteas bowling department after the retirement of its bowling stalwarts. Rabada has been a natural successor to Dale Steyn. Rabada has already picked up 202 Test wickets in just 45 matches at an average of 23.4. His strike rate is an excellent 41.7.
The fact that he has had a couple of disappointing seasons yet has such great numbers speaks volumes about Rabada’s prowess. He is no mug in the limited-overs format either. Rabada has 119 ODI wickets in 77 games at an average of 27.7. He has been sparsely used in the T20I’s and that reflects in his mediocre returns in the T20 games (31 wickets in 26 games).
#2 Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah has probably been India’s find of the decade. He took over the bowling leadership mantle just a couple of seasons into international cricket. Bumrah is a product of IPL. His death bowling abilities brought him into the picture. He made his limited-overs debut in Australia in 2016 and since then there has been no looking back. Bumrah was carefully nurtured to debut in the away series against South Africa in 2018.
He is the only Asian fast bowler to have picked up a 5-wicket haul in South Africa, England, Australia, and West Indies. Bumrah has 83 Test wickets in 19 games at an average of 22.1. He is flat-out brilliant in ODI’s and T20I’s. Bumrah is probably the best pacer in the limited-overs format. He is one of the top 5 fastest bowlers in world test cricket. He has picked up 108 ODI wickets in 67 games conceding runs at just 4.65 per over. His economy rate of 6.66 is sensational in T20I’s. He has 59 wickets in 50 T20I’s.
#1 Pat Cummins
Pat Cummins is undoubtedly the number 1 pacer in the world currently. Cummins bowls his heart out overcoming pitches, conditions, and batsmen. Despite Australia losing to India in the Test series, it was Cummins who won the Man of the Series award and earned a lot of respect for his relentless accuracy and discipline.
Cummins had made his Test debut in 2011 but had to wait 6 long years to play consistently for Australia owing to a career-threatening injury. Since then Cummins has wowed the world with his bowling, especially in Tests. He has 164 Test wickets in 34 Tests at an average of 21.6 and a strike rate of 47.1. Cummins is good in the limited-overs format but he is exceptional with the red ball.
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