At the best of times, it unleashes knots in the stomach, and terror in batters. Global fast bowlers are some spectacles, with the speed they generate – the ball would be hurled at 90 miles an hour from over 20 yards of pitch – and the batter would have fewer milli seconds to react. So, stay tuned as we present you the 5 fastest bowler in cricket, the express pace that wiped the team’s confines from the cricket.
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Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) – The Rawalpindi Express
Playing spicy from 1997-2011 Shoaib Akhtar remained a nightmare for the batsmen, as they called him ‘Terror Rawalpindi Express’ during one period of his full-fledged bowling career. In a Carnamic style named as “Rawalpindi Express” Akhtar bowled out hard paces that made both the batters and the spectators in general in a face-palm. He holds two significant records, in 2003 he delivered the fastest ball ever achieved in the cricket games called the mega-ball (generally a yorker) at the speed of 100. During this period, it managed to score only 2 mph (161.
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Shaun Tait (Australia) – The Wild Thing
Shaun Tait, arguably one of the fastest bowlers in the cricketing world, was more of a mercenary in the international cricket arena, which he joined in 2005 and called it quits in 2016. It was mandatory zoomed in excess of 150 kilometres per hour (93 miles per hour) and had incentive resonance cast on batters globally. Tait bowled his fastest later in the year 2010 during a match between Australia and New Zealand which he achieved 161 km/h. As the speed increases, the radius of turn also increases.
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Umran Malik (India) – The Jammu Express
Umran Malik can qualify easily as they are already among the fastest bowlers in the world and he is only 23 years old. His natural execution of raw pace and ability to penetrate at 150 kmph (almost) has been a treasure for Indian cricket. He has up to now bowled with a higher speed than 155 km/h (96. 3 mph), and in a recently held match against Sri Lanka in January 2023 he was bowling with considerable pace besides being among the very first.
4. Anrich Nortje (South Africa) – The Pembroke Flyer
Another latest show stopper in the decoration of International Cricket, the South African pacer has been ruling the heart of his fans since 2019. Technique penetrators nave smooth, rhythmic action with ability to bowl, on a regular basis, delivering deliveries with speeds of over 150 km/h (93 mph) and therefore making Nortje a “nightmare” to batsmen. The fastest ball that he bowled to date is recognized at 155. 1 km/h or 96. 4 mph back in the 2021 match Vs West Indies.
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Mark Wood (England) – The Durham Dasher
For Mark Wood, it has been a tale of tenacity and resolve in his pursuit of becoming one of the paciest bowlers in cricket. While a variety of fast bowlers has led to an assembly line of speedsters breaking into leading teams, the English paceman has flown the flag for raw pace with a never-say-die attitude that has stood the test of time. In 2023, he let rip a thunderbolt against Pakistan at 154.9 km/h, that delivery just below his previous best, confirming his position among the elite group of speed merchants.
Conclusion
These top 5 fastest bowlers in cricket are not just names and numbers, they are a set of ambassadors of a nerve-jarring and awe-inspiring ingredient of cricket. Their tearaway speed and wizardry, coupled with unbelievable zest for cricket has mesmerised global audiences and evoked cricketing passions in generations of future cricketers. With the game set to progress and the pursuit of speed as it is, we will always want to see what the limits of those boundaries are and for this the game we all know and love will benefit.
