TOP 10 Fast Bowlers in World Cricket History

Have you ever wondered ” Who must be the No.1 Fast bowler of the World across all the formats ? “So to find out the answer of the question , read the blog till the end . Hey guys !! Today I will be sharing the detailed list of the TOP 10 Fast Bowlers in World Cricket history with you all .

DISCLAIMER : Like the world believes in numbers and results , the greatness of a fast bowler too is unfortunately measured by the quantity of wickets taken or matches played by him .Therefore , the rankings in the list are purely based on the number of wickets taken by fast bowlers across all the formats in Cricket and not on my personal thoughts or opinions . Major qualities of bowlers such as their skills , impact, consistency under pressure , control etc. are sadly not considered here .

LIST OF TOP 10 FAST BOWLERS IN WORLD

If you like video format too , you can watch this 2-minute video on my Youtube channel ‘Cricket Cordon’ :

Here is the detailed list of top 10 Fast bowler of World :

10. Dale Steyn (South Africa) – 699 Wickets

• Dale Willem Steyn ( born 27 June 1983) is a South African former professional cricketer who played for the South African Cricket Team. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler . His shirt number was 8 .

• He is often regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in world of all time and the best Test bowler of his generation. Steyn had a fantastic career, having played an important part in numerous Proteas victories during the course of his career and finished as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in Tests, having picked 439 scalps in 93 matches .

• He took a total of 699 wickets in his massive career for South Africa spanning from 2004 to 2020. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

DALE STEYN’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 11/60 ( 2013 v Pakistan, Johannesburg )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/51 ( 2010 v India, Nagpur )
ODI MATCH – 6/39 ( 2013 v Pakistan , Port Elizabeth )
T20I MATCH – 4/9 ( 2007 v West Indies , St George’s Oval ) .

9. Brett Lee (Australia) – 718 Wickets

• Brett Lee (born 8 November 1976) is an Australian former international cricketer, who played all three formats of the game. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler . His shirt no. was 58 .
• Lee was considered one of the fastest bowlers in world and the leading fast bowler in world of his generation .
• He took a total of 718 wickets in his massive career for Australia spanning from 1999 to 2012. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

BRETT LEE’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 9/171 ( 2008 v New Zealand , Adelaide )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 5/30 ( 2005 v West Indies , Brisbane )
ODI MATCH – 5/22 ( 2006 v South Africa , Melbourne )
T20I MATCH – 3/23 ( 2012 v West Indies , Barbados )

8. Courtney Walsh (West Indies) – 746 Wickets

• Courtney Andrew Walsh OJ (born 30 October 1962) is a former Jamaican cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches. He was a fast bowler, and best known for a remarkable opening bowling partnership along with fellow West Indian Curtly Ambrose for several years.
• He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler . His shirt number was 12 and 33 .Walsh played 132 Tests and 205 ODIs for the West Indies and took 519 and 227 wickets respectively.. He was the first bowler to reach 500 wickets in Test cricket.
• He took a total of 746 wickets in his massive career for West Indies spanning from 1984 to 2001. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

COURTNEY WALSH’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 13/55 ( 1995 v New Zealand , Wellington )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/37 ( 1995 v New Zealand , Wellington )
ODI MATCH – 5/1 ( 1986 v Sri Lanka , Sharjah )
T20I MATCH – 3/23 ( 2012 v West Indies , Barbados )

7. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) – 761 Wickets

• Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 27 January 1974) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer, who played all forms of the game, who is often described as the greatest fast bowler Sri Lanka has produced , due to his highly accurate lines, lengths and capability of swinging the ball .
• He was a left-handed batsman and left-arm fast bowler . His shirt number was 12 and 33 . Vaas currently holds the record for the best bowling figures in ODI history, and is the only bowler to take an 8-wicket haul in ODIs.
• He took a total of 761 wickets in his massive career for Sri Lanka spanning from 1994 to 2009. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

CHAMINDA VAA’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 14/191 ( 2001 v West Indies , Colombo )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/71 ( 2001 v West Indies , Colombo )
ODI MATCH – 8/19 ( 2001 v Zimbabwe , Colombo)
T20I MATCH – 2/14 ( 2007 v Bangladesh , Johannesburg )

6. Waqar Younis (Pakistan) – 789 Wickets

• Waqar Younis Maitla ( born 16 November 1971) is a Pakistani former cricketer who captained Pakistan national cricket team. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium fast bowler . His shirt number was 99 .He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in world to have played the game.
• He played 87 Tests and 262 One Day International (ODI) matches for Pakistan during his international cricket career from 1989 to 2003 and took a total of 789 wickets in his massive career . Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

WAQAR YOUNIS’ CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH -13/135 ( 1993 v Zimbabwe , Karachi )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/76 ( 1990 v New Zealand , Faisalabad )
ODI MATCH – 7/36 ( 2001 v England , Leeds )

5. Stuart Broad (England) – 809* Wickets

• Stuart Christopher John Broad, (born 24 June 1986) is an English cricketer who plays Test cricket for the England cricket team and a former One Day and Twenty 20 International player. He is widely considered to be one of the best fast bowlers in world of his generation.
• He is a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium fast bowler . His shirt number is 8 . Till January 2023, he has taken a total of 809 wickets in his massive career for England spanning from 2006. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

STUART BROAD’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 11/121 ( 2013 v Australia , Durham )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 8/15 ( 2015 v Australia , Nottinghamshire )
ODI MATCH – 5/23 ( 2008 v South Africa , Nottinghamshire )
T20I MATCH – 4/24 ( 2013 v New Zealand , Auckland )

4. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – 829 Wickets

• Shaun Maclean Pollock (born 16 July 1973) is a South African former cricketer, who was captain in all formats of the game. He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast medium bowler . His shirt number was 7 .He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in world of all time. A genuine bowling all-rounder, Pollock along with Allan Donald formed a bowling partnership for many years.
• He took a total of 829 wickets in his massive career for South Africa spanning from 1995 to 2008. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

SHAUN POLLOCK’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 10/147 ( 2001 v India , Bloemfontein )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/87 ( 1998 v Australia , Adelaide )
ODI MATCH – 6/35 ( 1999 v West Indies , Eastern London )
T20I MATCH – 3/28 ( 2007 v New Zealand , Johannesburg )

3. Wasim Akram (Pakistan) – 916 Wickets

• Wasim Akram (born 3 June 1966) is a former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Akram is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in world of all time and is regarded as the greatest left arm fast bowler of world cricket history.

• He was a left-handed batsman and left-arm fast bowler . His shirt number was 3 . He is considered to be one of the finest exponent of reverse swing bowling. He took a total of 916 wickets in his massive career for Pakistan spanning from 1984 to 2003. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

WASIM AKRAM’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 11/110 ( 2000 v West Indies , Antigua )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/119 ( 1994 v New Zealand , Wellington )
ODI MATCH – 5/15 ( 1993 v Zimbabwe , Karachi )

2. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – 949 Wickets

• Glenn Donald McGrath ( born 9 February 1970) is an Australian former international cricketer who played international cricket for 14 years. He was a fast-medium pace bowler and is considered one of the greatest international fast bowlers in world of all time . He was a right-handed batsman and right-arm medium fast bowler . His shirt number was 11 .

• He took a total of 949 wickets in his massive career for Australia spanning from 1993 TO 2007 . Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

GLENN MCGRATH’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:
TEST MATCH – 10/27 ( 2000 v West Indies , Brisbane )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 8/24 ( 2004 v Pakistan , Perth )
ODI MATCH – 7/15 ( 2003 v Namibia , Potchefstroom )
T20I MATCH – 3/31 ( 2005 v England , Southampton )

1. James Anderson (England) – 962* Wickets

• James Michael Anderson (born 30 July 1982) is an English international cricketer who plays for Lancashire County Cricket Club and the England cricket team. Anderson is the leading wicket-taker of all-time at Test cricket level among other fast bowlers in world , as the only fast bowler of world to have taken 600 or more Test wickets, and is the third-highest wicket-taker overall.
• He also holds the record for the most wickets taken by an England player in One-Day International (ODI) cricket. In June 2021 he made his 162nd appearance for England in Test cricket, becoming England’s most capped player. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the world cricket history . Anderson was the first English bowler to reach 400, 500 and 600 wickets in Test matches.
• He was a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium fast bowler . His shirt number was 9 .Till January 2023, he has taken a total of 962 wickets in his massive career for England spanning from 2002. Detailed statistics of his fantastic international bowling career is as follows :

JAMES ANDERSON’S CAREER BEST BOWLING FIGURES IN:

TEST MATCH – 11/71 ( 2010 v Pakistan , Nottinghamshire )
TEST MATCH INNINGS – 7/42 ( 2017 v West Indies , Lord’s )
ODI MATCH – 5/23 ( 2009 v South Africa , Port Elizabeth )
T20I MATCH – 3/23 ( 2009 v Netherlands , Lord’s )

CONCLUSION

Since , James Anderson has taken the highest number of wickets in world cricket , therefore James Anderson is the No. 1 fast bowler in world cricket history . And below is the detailed list of TOP 10 Fast Bowlers in World cricket history :