A fast bowler bowling over 150 KPH speed and making the stump fly- ah, what a sight! Fast bowling is the beauty of cricket. Fast bowlers will make you awe with their swing, cutter, and, most importantly, speed.
Think from a batsman’s perspective. The faster the delivery, the less time you have to think and decide how to play the shot. Sometimes bowlers are so fast that batsmen do not even have time to block the stamp.
Fast bowlers always play an important role in cricket. Their speed is their weapon. Well, some of them were too good at it and could constantly bowl over 140 KPH. Let’s check on the 10 fastest bowlers in cricket who were nightmares for batsmen.
Here Are The Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in Cricket History
| Player Name | Country | Fastest Delivery (KMPH) | Opposition |
| Shoaib Akhtar | Pakistan | 161.3 | England |
| Shaun Tait | Australia | 161.1 | England |
| Brett Lee | Australia | 160.8 | New Zealand |
| Jeffrey Thomson | Australia | 160.6 | West Indies |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 160.4 | New Zealand |
| Andy Roberts | West Indies | 159.5 | Australia |
| Fidel Edwards | West Indies | 157.7 | South Africa |
| Mitchell Johnson | Australia | 156.8 | England |
| Mohammad Sami | Pakistan | 156.4 | Zimbabwe |
| Shane Bond | New Zealand | 156.4 | India |
1. Shoaib Akhtar
| Full Name | Shoaib Akhtar |
| Date of Birth | August 13, 1975 |
| Birth Place | Rawalpindi, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| International Debut | November 29, 1997 vs. West Indies at Rawalpindi (Test) |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
When you want to talk about the bowling speed of fast bowlers, the Rawalpindi Express is the fast name that will pop up. He would take a long run up and release the ball with all his strength. He was a natural speedster. He would continuously bowl over 140 KPH speed.
In modern-day cricket, when a bowler gets 140 KPH speed, it is regarded as a very fast bowl, and you may get to hear the commentators praising them. And there was Akhtar. Want to know about his average speed of bowling? 145 to 150 kph!
There is no surprise that the fastest delivery in cricket history belongs to his name. He made the record in the 2003 world cup match against England and broke the 100-mile barrier. Akhtar was not just fast; he was also dangerous.
Akhtar would often bowl bouncers, which would hurt the batsmen. You will find many youtube compilation videos of Akhtar’s bouncers and how batsmen used to have no answer. Even the great Tendulkar would get out five times by him.
The Rawalpindi Express, unfortunately, did not have as long a career as fans would love to see him have. He played only 163 ODIs and bagged 247 wickets. Akhtar retired in 2011 and, still in 2023, is considered the fastest bowler in cricket history.
Career Stats of Shoaib Akhtar
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 163 | 46 | 98 |
| Wickets | 247 | 178 | 98 |
2. Shaun Tait
| Full Name | Shaun William Tait |
| Date of Birth | February 22, 1983 |
| Birth Place | Naracoorte, South Australia, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| International Debut | February 2, 2007 vs. England at Sydney (ODI) |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
Shaun Tait, the Australian right-hand fast-bowler, earned the nickname “the wild thing” because of his extreme speed. How fast was he? He would regularly bowl at a speed of over 150 kph. The man was physically well-built, and you could tell at first glance that he was destined to be a fast bowler.
Tait has played in all the major leagues, including the IPS, Big Base, and all. However, his international career did not go very well. He would find little success in his initial career but eventually failed to make it big.
Tait got to play only 59 international games, but that was enough for him to register his name as one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history. He bowled his fastest delivery (161.1 kph) against Pakistan in a T20I match in Melbourne.
Tait always relied on his speed and had little variations. And so his international career ended up without much success. Regardless, he belongs to the top 10 fastest bowlers in cricket history.
Career Stats of Shaun Tait
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 35 | 3 | 21 |
| Wickets | 62 | 5 | 28 |
3. Brett Lee
| Full Name | Brett Lee |
| Date of Birth | November 8, 1976 |
| Birth Place | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| International Debut | December 26, 1999 vs. India at Melbourne (Test) |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
Who doesn’t know Brett Lee? If you do not know his name, then stop calling yourself a cricket fan. The former Australian right-hand fast bowler is also regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of all time.
Unlike Tait, Lee was known for both his speed and variations. He could bowl different types of deliveries. “Swing” is a special ability of fast bowlers, and when it is mixed with speed, then you know the batsman is in trouble. And that is what Lee was master at.
During his prime time, Brett Lee would constantly bowl over 150 kph speed. His speed and bowling variation would make the batsmen dumbfounded. He had been a part of 2 World Cup winning Australian sides and was the leading wicket-taker in the 2003 World Cup.
His fastest delivery was recorded at 161.1 km/h (100.23 mph) during a match against New Zealand in 2005. However, in that particular match, Lee did not take a wicket with that delivery. Nonetheless, it registered his name in the record book.
Career Stats of Brett Lee
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 221 | 76 | 25 |
| Wickets | 380 | 310 | 28 |
4. Jeffrey Thomson
| Full Name | Jeffrey Robert Thomson |
| Date of Birth | August 16, 1950 |
| Birth Place | Greenacre, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| International Debut | December 18, 1972 vs. Pakistan at Perth (Test) |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
Shoaib Akhtar bowled the fastest delivery of cricket in 2003, so who set the record prior to him? It was Jeffrey Thomson.
Jeffrey Thomson is the third Australian entrant on this list, and he is not the last, though. Australia has a reputation for producing fast bowlers, and the tradition began before there was Brett Lee or McGrath.
Thomson was born in 1950 in New South Wales and had his international debut in 1972 against Pakistan. He immediately came to the spotlight because of his speed. During his time, he was the fastest bowler in the world.
In 1975, Thomson delivered the fastest delivery of 160.6 kph. For 28 years, Thomson held the record for the fastest delivery in cricket history. Thomson also knew very well how to use his speed to generate bounce, and that would make him a threat to the batsmen.
Thomson picked 200 wickets from 51 test matches only. His high-speed bouncer would make the batsman helpless. No surprise he is among the top 10 fastest bowlers in cricket history.
Career Stats of Jeffrey Thomson
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 51 | 51 | 9 |
| Wickets | 55 | 200 | 11 |
5. Mitchell Starc
| Full Name | Mitchell Aaron Starc |
| Date of Birth | January 30, 1990 |
| Birth Place | Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| International Debut | June 7, 2012 vs. Pakistan at Dubai (T20I) |
| Bowling Style | Left-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Left-hand bat |
You saw it coming, didn’t you? Mitchell Starc is the modern-day speedster and the fastest active bowler in 2023. Starc regularly bowls between 145 to 155 kilometers per hour. And sometimes, he will reach close to 160.
During the 2015 test against New Zealand, he bowled his career-fastest delivery at 160.4 kph. Starc came to the spotlight in the 2015 World Cup, where he played the key role for Australia in winning the World Cup.
Starc can use his speed to generate bouncers, which can outsmart the batsmen. However, his specialty is his yorkers. Yorkers have become one of the deadliest tools for fast bowlers in modern cricket, and it is obviously not easy to bowl. However, Starc can release yorkers on a regular basis with high speed.
Starc’s speed, bouncers, swings, and yorkers have made him the perfect death-over bowler, and he has snatched victories for Australia on multiple occasions with them. Starc is still actively playing but has already achieved the status of being in the top 10 fastest bowlers in cricket history.
Career Stats of Mitchell Starc
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 109 | 77 | 58 |
| Wickets | 219 | 306 | 73 |
6. Andy Roberts
| Full Name | Anderson Montgomery Everton Roberts |
| Date of Birth | January 29, 1951 |
| Birth Place | Urlings, Antigua |
| Nationality | Antiguan |
| International Debut | Test: March 2, 1974 vs. England at Bridgetown |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
If a fast bowler in cricket gets the nickname “Hercules,” then you understand how deadly he was. Andy Roberts was born in Antigua. But he played for the West Indies national team and was a terror for the batsmen during the 70s.
Roberts was one of the fastest bowlers of his time. He played only 47 tests in his career and recorded 202 wickets. His speed would help him achieve such a feat.
Roberts was not just great at generating speed; he was also great at bowling in the right areas. He could pinpoint the weakness of batsmen and then bowl exactly at the right area with high speed and make the batsman fall.
Roberts dominated in the first two editions of the ICC world cup. He became the leading wicket-taker in the 1975 world cup with 11 wickets. He played a key role in West Indies’ winning the first two world cups. Before retiring in 1982, Roberts cemented his position among the fastest bowlers in cricket history.
Career Stats of Andy Roberts
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 56 | 47 | – |
| Wickets | 87 | 202 | – |
7. Fidel Edwards
| Full Name | Fidel Henderson Edwards |
| Date of Birth | February 6, 1982 |
| Birth Place | Christ Church, Barbados |
| Nationality | Barbadian |
| International Debut | Test: March 22, 2003 vs. Sri Lanka at Galle |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
Fidel Edwards debuted for the West Indies in 2003 against Sri Lanka and showed all the signs of becoming one of the most dominant fast bowlers in the history of cricket. He possessed aggression, speed, bouncer, and variations.
But standing in 2023, you know that did not happen. Due to constant injuries, he fell behind in his career. And by the 2010s, Asian teams started taking advantage of their home ground where fast bowlers become helpless. Edwards suffered to bowl well in tough conditions.
However, he found much success in his comparatively short career and made a name for himself for his speed. He played 55 tests and received 165 wickets.
Edwards recorded his fastest delivery in the 2003 world cup against South Africa. Wait for a second; he, too, did that in the 2003 World Cup! Really it seems like the fast bowlers were under a spell to give their best in that World Cup.
Career Stats of Fidel Edwards
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 50 | 55 | 26 |
| Wickets | 60 | 165 | 20 |
8. Mitchell Johnson
| Full Name | Mitchell Guy Johnson |
| Date of Birth | November 2, 1981 |
| Birth Place | Townsville, Queensland, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| International Debut | ODI: December 10, 2005 vs. New Zealand at Wellington |
| Bowling Style | Left-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Left-hand bat |
Another Australian! But what else can you do? Before Starc became so deadly, Mitchell Johnson was the man who was handling the Australian bowling attack. After the retirement of McGrath and Lee, Australia suffered from a lack of quality pacers for some time.
Johnson was born in 1981 in Queensland and had his international debut in ODI in 2005 against New Zealand. But his breakthrough moments came in 2008 when he took 80 wickets in a calendar year by playing only 16 test matches.
Since then, Johnson has become a crucial member of Australia. During his prime time, he was known as the fastest bowler of his generation and was highly feared by the batsmen. He had the ability to adapt to different conditions and find success.
Johnson played in all three formats of international cricket and gained 590 wickets. His performance in the test deserves to be noted especially. He recorded 313 wickets from only 73 tests.
Johnson delivered his fastest delivery at 156.8 km/h in 2013 against South Africa in a test match. Johnson announced his retirement in 2015, which kind of shocked many fans as he still had the ability to bowl over 150 kph.
Career Stats of Mitchell Johnson
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 153 | 73 | 30 |
| Wickets | 239 | 313 | 38 |
9. Mohammad Sami
| Full Name | Mohammad Sami |
| Date of Birth | February 24, 1981 |
| Birth Place | Karachi, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| International Debut | May 1, 2001 vs. New Zealand at Auckland (Test) |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
In cricket, Asian countries were known for not having quality fast bowlers, but Pakistan was different from the beginning. They were the only Asia team with some deadly fast bowlers, and Mohammad Sami was one of their top fast bowlers in the 2000s.
After his debut in 2001, Sami quickly became a fan favorite because of his speed and variations. He could regularly bowl over 140 kph speed. However, he would often change the pace and produce a slower delivery which would surprise the batsman and trick them.
In addition, Sami had a high-arm action, which allowed him to generate a steep bounce on the pitch. Sami bowled his fastest delivery against Zimbabwe in the ODI series of 2003.
The right-hand first bowler had speed and variations. However, he lacked consistency and accuracy, which barred his career from further success. Heck, he is still one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history, and that’s a fact.
Career Stats of Mohammad Sami
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 87 | 36 | 13 |
| Wickets | 121 | 85 | 13 |
10. Shane Bond
| Full Name | Shane Edward Bond |
| Date of Birth | June 7, 1975 |
| Birth Place | Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealander |
| International Debut | ODI: February 11, 2001 vs. Australia at Wellington |
| Bowling Style | Right-arm fast |
| Batting Style | Right-hand bat |
Shane Bond is a former New Zealand fast bowler who had his debut in 2001 vs. Australia. He had a comparatively short but impactful career. He played only 18 tests and got 87 wickets.
Bond quickly became a top bowler for New Zealand after his debut. He had speed, accuracy, and consistency. However, the injury became his biggest rival. Bond was part of the New Zealand side which was not as dominant as in 2023.
There have not been many great players in the squad, and Bond had to take extra pressure for that. He would continue to bowl over 145 kph despite suffering from speed which caused him further complications.
And to talk about his fastest delivery, we need to go back to the 2003 ICC World Cup again! Against India, he recorded his fastest delivery at 156.4 kph. But Bond has a greater achievement than that.
In his first six encounters against Australia, Bond picked up Ricky Ponting’s wicket in all six games. It really shows how great of a bowler Bond used to be. If he did not suffer from constant injuries, he might have become one of the best fast bowlers. But for now, he is still amongst the top 10 fastest bowlers in cricket history.
Career Stats of Shane Bond
| Format | ODI | Test | T20I |
| Matches | 82 | 18 | 20 |
| Wickets | 147 | 87 | 25 |
Honorable Mentions
Before we go to conclusions, there are certain players who deserve to be mentioned in the article. They might not have the fastest bowling record, but they have bowled or been consistent at high speed.
Wasim Akram: Obviously, you cannot end an article on fast bowlers without mentioning Wasim Akram, the legendary left-hand Pakistani fast bowler. He could continuously bowl over 145 kph in his prime time. Akram holds the record for most wickets for a fast bowler with 916 wickets.
Dale Steyn: Dale Steyn is widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers in cricket. He had it all- speed, variations, swings, wisdom, and longevity. He recorded a total of 699 international wickets.
Malcolm Marshall: Malcolm Marshall is the greatest West Indies fast bowler ever in cricket. He took 376 international wickets from 81 tests. His career average bowling speed is a little over 141 kph.
Conclusion
Well, you have met the top 10 fastest bowlers in cricket history. These bowlers were the deadliest and a nightmare for their opponents. They did not deliver some of the fastest deliveries of cricket by luck; they were constant about it. Their speed has made them immortal in cricket history. They are idols for the new generation of players.
