The Greatest Fast Bowlers of All Time: Marshall, McGrath, and Ambrose stand out as three of the greatest of all-time players. Each dominated their respective eras while remaining relentless when handling the ball.
He was an exceptional fast bowler with impeccable accuracy and an aggressive swing that caused batsmen to struggle at bat. A true all-rounder, he could adapt well to all surfaces for bowling success.
He holds the best record among non-Asian quicks in Asia, and when compared with visiting fast bowlers from his era – including average and strike rate comparisons – is far ahead.
1. Dennis Lillee
Dennis Lillee was one of Australia’s greatest fast bowlers of his era. First gaining notoriety through his work for Western Australia in 1969-70 before making his Test debut against England two years later, Dennis’ distinctive on-field persona and lush moustache set him apart and led to loud cheers from crowds during long runs-ups.
He was paired with Jeff Thomson (nicknamed ‘Thommo’) and together they terrorised batsmen to win the 1974 Ashes series. By that point Lillee had developed his style and compensated for any deficiencies in raw pace with variations of pace that even included cutters to complement his outswinging action.
Lillee was unrivalled during 1978-79 Supertests and finished as the leading bowler at 22.5 with 47 wickets at an average of 2.2.5 average across nine Tests he led as captain – most notably his five wicket haul at Lord’s and match winning performance against New Zealand at MCG for Centenary Test vs Australia (he retired with 355 wickets and world records for bowlers at age 35). He retired with an unsurpassed world record 355 wickets under his belt!
2. Malcolm Marshall
Marshall (known affectionately as Maco) stands out among all West Indian fast bowlers of recent decades as being among the greatest. Not physically intimidating like Lillee or malevolent like Holding, Marshall excelled with academia – being both dangerously effective yet academic enough for county cricket as a whole. He had an uncanny ability of remaining just enough threatening and pulling all kinds of deliveries out from the pitch; taking an impressive 376 wickets at test level and over 800 wickets for Hampshire alone!
At 5ft 9ins, he wasn’t particularly tall but made up for it with his athletic stride and fast arm, adept at exploiting batsmen’s weaknesses and unleashing a torrent of deliveries in 1984 against England at Headingley – sending waves of depression through their camp. Once hostilities had ended he displayed an infectious cheerful Barbadian humor which kept audiences laughing!
3. Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is an indisputable icon of cricket. His mesmerising performances both in Test and ODI cricket left the world transfixed. One of only six bowlers to have taken 400 wickets across both formats of cricket, he is also one of few bowlers who has bagged multiple hat-tricks!
His unique combination of slow and straight deliveries with his ability to switch pace made him a fearsome opponent for batsmen. He excelled at using bouncers and deceptive yorkers and had strong wrists which enabled him to swing the ball late into the off side.
Wasim Akram was an exceptional fielder and batsman; with excellent hands that rarely missed catching a ball. Furthermore, his batter was fearless enough to hit anything over the fence for six. Since retiring from cricket he has become a prominent cricket speaker who shares his experiences from what was a remarkable career. Wasim has inspired generations of fast bowlers as well as making cricket more exciting for millions of fans worldwide.
4. Glenn McGrath
Glenn McGrath had an extraordinary fast bowling career between 1993 and 2007 that saw him become one of the greatest fast bowlers ever seen in cricket. He amassed more wickets than any other Australian fast bowler across both Tests and ODIs, remaining fourth on all-time list for fastest to 500 Test wickets.
His dominance was not solely founded upon speed; rather, it rested upon his ability to manipulate batsmen through spin and accuracy. Employing a metronomic delivery stride and flawless arm action, he generated bounce even on seemingly flat pitches; furthermore, as an expert psychologist he frequently kept even bellicose batsmen under control.
After losing his wife Jane to breast cancer, McGrath showed immense courage and dignity on and off the field. After helping establish the McGrath Foundation to raise funds and awareness of this illness – it has already funded 100 McGrath Breast Care Nurses throughout Australia! He truly remains a legendary figure of Australian football.
5. Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose was one of the greatest fast bowlers ever to grace cricket, establishing himself as one of the greatest fast bowlers ever seen on a field. From pace bowling, bouncers, swing and stopping run flows; to his calm demeanour on the field that made him so unnerved by batsmen. Curtly was an invaluable member of West Indies team that dominated international cricket in the 80s and 90s.
Ambrose had all of the ingredients of an ideal fast bowler: height, speed and a vicious stare that only rivaled by his skill and accuracy. On his maiden Test match against Australia at the WACA in 1992/93 he unleashed an explosive burst that saw him pick up seven wickets for one run!
Ambrose made his mark against England at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados during their 1988/89 tour. Ambrose bowled an excellent spell and finished up with figures of 8 for 45 while breaking Jeff Lawson’s jaw with one of his signature deliveries.
6. Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis has proven himself one of the finest fast bowlers ever seen on an international field. He holds 373 Test wickets and 416 ODI wickets over his career; known for reverse swinging at high speeds; nicknamed ‘The Burewala Express” he forms part of Pakistan’s deadly bowling duo along with Wasim Akram.
Waqar Younis set an ODI bowling record against New Zealand in 1994 by becoming the youngest bowler ever to take an ODI hat-trick, aged 19 at just 23. Younis combined speed, skill, and temperament into his delivery methods – offering batsmen something they couldn’t otherwise get from anyone. He often utilized different types of deliveries that targeted specific weaknesses of batsmen.
He is also an excellent fielder who excels at taking catches effortlessly, and loves entertaining audiences with his play. Additionally, he served as both commentator and coach for Pakistan cricket team; currently living in Castle Hill New South Wales Australia with Faryal and their children and regularly appearing as a commentator on Nine Network Australia as well as Ten Sports UAE commentary boxes.
7. Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn was known for his stunning bowling abilities; he made the ball do his bidding at lightning pace, commanding speed, swing and bounce that left opponents reeling from fearsome fast bowlers like himself. Steyn amassed 439 Test wickets and 184 ODI wickets over his career.
Steyn is known for having long levers with explosive fibers that allow him to produce powerful fast bowling deliveries. His lean body with muscular endurance makes him move his levers quickly to generate huge force.
After an underwhelming debut, Steyn spent the winter playing for Essex in Division 2 of the County Championship to hone his craft and returned visibly fiercer bowler in his next series against New Zealand – notching up two 10-wicket hauls and further reinforcing his status as a world-class cricketer.
At times, injuries have threatened to derail Steyn’s career but he has prevailed despite them to cement his name in South African cricketing history. Now considered one of the world’s premier fast bowlers with an average just over 22 runs per innings, Steyn remains at the forefront.
8. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev was India’s first fast bowler capable of taking wickets consistently and Kapil became legendary due to his deadly combination of pace and swing, becoming unstoppable at home as well as formidable abroad; amassing 23 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket matches alone.
Debuting in 1978 and quickly making his mark, he achieved two five-wicket hauls on his maiden tour to England – heralding what would become an extraordinary career path.
Kapil Dev was at his best during the 1983 World Cup. Leading India to victory against all odds was one of his crowning achievements and created a cricketing revolution within India itself. His innings against Zimbabwe in the knockout stage, scoring 175 runs against them was undoubtedly one of the greatest One Day International innings ever witnessed by cricket fans worldwide.
India was lucky to have him as captain; he led by example and didn’t rely on strategy alone to lead. Current Indian fast bowlers look up to him as they attempt to surpass his 434 wicket mark from 131 Test matches; with speed, swing, and bounce, he had everything needed for success.
