With intimidating bouncers and blistering speed skills, fast bowlers have been dominating the game of cricket since its inception. With prominent bowlers including Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, Dennis Lillee, Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Waqar Younis, Dale Steyn and many more dominating the leading batsmen of the opposition teams with their lethal deliveries, the concept of fast bowling evolved as one of the most revered and widely recognised styles of bowling.
While all forms of bowlers, including spinners, play a major role in assisting their teams to victories, fast bowlers are still considered as the most reliable resources for a captain to restrict the opposition team to smashing massive numbers on the scoreboard. With a raw pace and blistering speed, the fast bowlers have proved to be a nightmare for even the greatest of batsmen to deal with at the crease.
In this article we will take a look at the top four fast bowlers in the world who have assisted their teams to phenomenal victories on the international stage.
Top 4 Legendary Fast Bowlers Of All-Time
James Anderson
James Michael Anderson, is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of the world across all formats of cricket at an international level. The fast bowler holds the record for picking up a record-breaking 700 wickets in the test format.
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Additionally, James Anderson also holds the record for being the highest English wicket-taker in the ODI format with a total of 269 wickets. Moreover, Anderson established himself to be the second bowler alongside legendary cricketer Joe Root to hold the record for tenth-highest wicket stand (198) in the Test format.
James Anderson started representing the England side at the international stage in 2002 and, as of January 2025, his stellar bowling records include 704 test wickets, 269 ODI wickets and 18 T20I wickets.
Glenn McGrath
Former Australian cricketer, Glenn Donald McGrath has represented the Australian cricket team for fourteen long years and mastered the skill of fast bowling. With numerous records under his name, Glenn Donald McGrath is widely regarded to be one of the greatest and accurate pace bowlers in the world.
Most notably, Glenn Donald McGrath was a crucial member of the Australian winning team during the 1999 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 Cricket World Cup, and the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Additionally, Glenn Donald McGrath also played a pivotal role in assisting the Australian national cricket team to a glorious triumph at the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy.
In his illustrious cricketing career that lasted for fourteen years, McGrath picked up a total of 563 test wickets, 381 ODI wickets and 5 T20I wickets.
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh, former Jamaican cricketer and captain of the West Indies cricket team for a total of twenty-two test matches, represented the West Indies team from 1984 to 2001. Walsh received numerous awards and recognition for his contribution towards West Indian cricket.
Walsh was named as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1987 and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010. In his distinguished cricketing career, Courtney Walsh appeared in a total of 132 Test matches, picking up a phenomenal 519 wickets, 205 ODIs, picking up a total of 227 wickets. Most notably, Courtney Walsh surpassed Kapil Dev’s record for the highest number of wickets.
Stuart Broad
Former English cricketer, Stuart Christopher John Broad is widely regarded as one of the most influential fast bowlers of his era who also served as the captain of England’s cricket team in the ODI and T20 format. The 2013-14 Ashes Series proved to be an apex of Broad’s illustrious career as he was acknowledged as the highest wicket-taker of the series.
Stuart Broad, also referred to as “the Malfoy” of England cricket, appeared in a total of 167 matches and picked up a stellar count of 604 test wickets, 178 ODI wickets and 65 T20I wickets. Stuart Broad announced his retirement from all forms of cricket in July 2023.
