Fast bowlers have always been the center of attention. And, every country has its own champ in this regard. However, the discussion of the best fast bowlers is something that comes up time and again. Now, this leads to the fastest ball in cricket history.
Here are 10 bowlers who made a place in the list of fastest balls in cricket history.
1. 161.3 kph by Shoaib Akhtar
Pakistan’s gem, Shoaib Akhtar was set the 100 mph bar for the first time. Till date, he is the fastest bowler. His fastest ball in cricket history was at 161.3 kph against England. What’s more, it was a match of ICC World Cup in 2003. Not to mention, in his short career, Akhtar gained the name Raulpindi Express due to his speed.
2. 161.1 kph by Shaun Tait
The second person to cross the 100 mph speed is Australian bowler Shaun Tait. In his 11 years of career, from 2006 to 2016, Shaun Tait was at his peak throughout his time. And, in 2010, he made the record in a match against England. Moreover, the amazing bowler retired early due to injures.
3. 160.8 kph by Bret Lee
The Australian bowler with a charming personality is the 3rd man on our list. Bret Lee made a 160.8 kph delivery in 2005 in a match against New Zealand. He took many other significant wickets and became a fan favorite from 2003 to 2007.
4. 160.6 kph by Jeff Thomson
The 4th player on the list of the fastest ball in cricket history is Jeff Thomson of Australia. He was a contemporary of Andy Roberts who’s fastest delivery was also in 1975. Thomson made his record in a match against West Indies.
5. 160.4 kph by Mitchell Starc
Starc is one of the jewels of Australia too. Evidently, not many batsmen managed to survive his fast, in-swinging yorkers. And, in 2015, in a Test match against New Zeland, with the speed of 160.4 kph or 99.8 mph throw, he made a record. Later that year, Australia won the ICC World Cup. And, Starc’s contribution was significantly amazing.
6. 159.5 kph by Andy Roberts
Back in 1975, Andy Roberts changed the scenario of fast bowling in the West Indies with his record of 99.1 mph. He was explicitly known as one of the best bowlers of his time.
7. 157.7 kph by Fidel Edwards
West Indies’ player Fidel Edwards made a record in a match against South Africa. Back in 2003, with a 97.9 mph fastball, he was the second player to make a record from West Indies.
8. 156.8 kph by Mitchell Johnson
Australian allrounder Mitchell Johnson is the 8th person on the list of the fastest ball in cricket history. With 156.8 kph or 97.4 mph, Mitchell Johnson added another crown in the history of Australian fast bowlers. The Aussie allrounder secured the ICC cricketer of the year award in 2014 too.
9. 156.4 kph by Mohammad Sami
Pakistan’s fast bowler Mohammed Sami is the 9th person on the list with a ball of 156.4 kph. To put it simply, the fast bowlers of Pakistan are quite famous for their unique styles of playing. Back in 2003 in a match against Zimbabwe Sami broke all the records and threw a ball off 97.1 mph or 156.4 kph. At that time, he was already Pakistan’s second-fastest bowler.
10. 156.4kph by Shane Bond
New Zealand’s fast bowler Shane Bond is the 10th person on the list. During 2003 when Bond was at the peak of his career he gave his best performance. In the ICC World Cup 2003, with 156.4 kph or 97.1 mph, New Zealand’s right arm bowler made a record. However, his glory days didn’t last long due to injury. To add up, the brilliant fast bowler officially retired in 2010 with a record of 87 wickets in Test Match, 147 in ODI, and 25 in T-20.
Basically, these are the 10 fastest balls in cricket history. Hopefully, you will enjoy this article. Despite the ranking, all of these players gave us some goosebumps with their performance. And, altogether made the game more interesting.