50 Greatest Bowlers in the History of Cricket- Part 3

In part 2 of our countdown for the greatest bowler ever, we looked at numbers 40-31. Now let us move forward ten paces and look at bowling legends no. 30 t0 21 in the Hatter’s List of the 50 Greatest Bowlers in the History of Cricket.

30-21

30. BOB WILLIS (ENG) Right Arm Fast (1969-84)

Tests- 90, Wickets- 325, Avg- 25.20, 5W- 16, Best- 8/43

ODIs- 64, Wickets- 80, Avg- 24.60, 5W- 4, Best- 4/11

If there was an award for courage in the cricketing world, it should very well be named after Bob Willis. When he was 26, he had operations on both his knees, which meant he was in constant pain whenever he played. In fact, on certain days, he needed to run five miles in order to generate the strength to play. It was only through his will that Willis managed to play and succeed at the top level for nine more years. At 6 feet 6 inches, Willis was an intimidating fast bowler, one of the fastest England have ever produced. His pace, bounce, aggression and swing made him deadly on all kinds of pitches across the world.

 

29. RAY LINDWALL (AUS) Right Arm Fast (1941-62)

Tests- 61, Wickets- 228, Avg- 23.03, 5W- 12, Best- 7/38

Lindwall was Australia’s post-war bowling spearhead; a genuine all-rounder, a master of pace and swing and a bowler who could extract anything and everything from the pitch in all sorts of conditions. His opponents both feared and revered his devastating opening spells, reminiscent of pre-war greats like Larwood (on whom he modelled his action and bowling style). His peak came at a time when the world was abundant with quality batsmen like Hutton, Compton, Hazare, Worrell, Mankad, Weekes, Walcott and Hanif. Even then, Lindwall managed favourable returns against all the teams of his time, barring Pakistan against whom he only played 3 Tests. For those still in doubt about his bowling skills, his autobiography is called ‘Flying Stumps’.

 

28. BHAGWATH CHANDRASEKHAR (IND) Legbreak (1963-80)

Tests- 58, Wickets- 242, Avg- 29.74, 5W- 16, Best- 8/79

1063 FC wickets at 24.03 with 75 five-wicket hauls

Among the famed Indian spin quartet comprising of Chandra, Bedi, Venkat and Prasanna, no one could turn the ball like Chandra; no one could take wickets in demanding overseas conditions like him, no one could master the bouncy pace-friendly pitches of Australia and South Africa like he did; but most importantly no one could win matches like him. Others might have better records than him but Chandra was a true match-winner, delivering when the team needed his services the most. Remarkably consistent across the globe, Chandra did not let a childhood outbreak of polio deter him from achieving his dream. He turned this handicap into a gift, delivering legbreak rippers and baffling googlies at near medium pace and cementing his place as one of the greatest bowlers ever from his country.

 

27. FRED SPOFFORTH (AUS) Right Arm Fast-Medium (1874-88)

Tests- 18, Wickets- 94, Avg- 18.41, 5W- 7, Best- 7/44

853 FC wickets at 14.95 with 84 five-wicket hauls

Not only was Spofforth the first great fast bowler ever, he was also cricket’s first true fast bowler- one with deadly accuracy, overpowering aggression and good pace. His terrorising effect on the opposition batsmen earned him his larger than life nickname- ‘Demon’. It was his crippling 7/44 that gave England their first ever Test defeat and gave birth to the legend of Ashes. He was the first man to take a hat trick in Tests and his 14/90 at the Oval remains the second best performance by an Australian till date. Had business concerns not forced him to retire at the age of 34, Spofforth would surely have taken his already legendary career to even greater heights.

 

26. ANDY ROBERTS (WI) Right Arm Fast (1969-84)

Tests- 47, Wickets- 202, Avg- 25.61, 5W- 11, Best- 7/54

WSC Matches- 13, Wickets- 50, Avg- 24.14, 5W- 1, Best- 6/69

ODIs- 56, Wickets- 87, Avg- 20.35, 4W- 3, Best- 5/22

Had Sergio Leone seen Roberts bowl, Clint Eastwood would probably never have become the star that he is today. Roberts was the gun slinging cowboy of the cricketing world, intimidating batsmen with those penetrating and expressionless eyes. He was the first of the great Caribbean quicks, who helped West Indies dominate world cricket for over two decades. By the time, he joined Packer’s circus in 1977; Roberts was already one of the best in the world having taken 103 wickets in just 20 Tests at 22.56 as well as 17 wickets in 9 ODIs at 15.00. His pace was all about timing and accuracy and had no room for any showmanship. According to him, the measure of a good bowler was the wickets he took and not the bones he broke.

 

25. SHAUN POLLOCK (RSA) Right Arm Fast-Medium (1991-2008)

Tests- 108, Wickets- 421, Avg- 23.11, 5W- 16, Best- 7/87

ODIs- 303, Wickets- 393, Avg- 24.50, 4W- 17, Best- 6/35

T20Is- 12, Wickets- 15, Avg- 20.60, Best- 3/28

No one quite epitomizes the adage of “like father like son” like Shaun Maclean Pollock. His dad Peter made cut at no. 48 earlier in this list, while uncle Graeme was no. 16 in the corresponding batting list and Shaun rounds up the family gig here. Basically, Pollock was a line and length bowler, keeping the runs in check and the batsmen frustrated. An ODI economy rate of 3.67 speaks volumes of his expertise in this field. But there was never any doubt that he could take wickets as well. Partnering Allan Donald in the first half of his career and Makhaya Ntini in the second half, Pollock ripped through several celebrated batting line-ups, ending up as the leading wicket taker for South Africa in both ODIs and Tests.

 

24. SAQLAIN MUSHTAQ (PAK) Right Arm Offbreak (1994-2008)

Tests- 49, Wickets- 208, Avg- 29.83, 5W- 13, Best- 8/164

ODIs- 169, Wickets- 288, Avg- 21.78, 4W- 17, Best- 5/20

No country disregards its champions more than Pakistan and even then, somehow, they just keep producing more and more of them in each generation. Saqlain was a trendsetter, the pioneer of that H-bomb called the ‘doosra’. In his peak, Saqlain rivalled the likes of Warne and Muralitharan for the title of the best spinner in the world. Even though his career was peppered with controversies and injuries, he still managed to cement his place as the best spinner ever from his country. In Tests, he was a master, but in ODIs he was nothing short of a wizard. He raced away to 100 ODI wickets faster than anyone else in the game. Sadly though, apathy from his home association meant that his last international appearance came at the age of just 27.

 

23. DALE STEYN (RSA) Right Arm Fast (2003-12)

Tests- 54, Wickets- 272, Avg- 23.18, 5W- 17, Best- 7/51

ODIs- 63, Wickets- 91, Avg- 28.62, 4W- 4, Best- 5/50

T20Is- 21, Wickets- 29, Avg- 18.31, Best- 4/9

As the 21^st century began, many feared that the art of fast bowling was slowly dying. Most of its flag bearers (Akram, McGrath, Walsh, Waqar, Donald, and Pollock) were aging and about to retire soon. The world needed a new fast bowling champion. Enter Dale Willem Steyn! Dale Steyn is the greatest bowler in the world today and he is far ahead of any competition that exists. He has already claimed enough records to be considered one of the all-time greats of the game and he is only 28 and at the peak of his bowling powers. Considering the stalwarts he bowls against (Tendulkar, Dravid, Ponting, Chanderpaul, Sangakkara, Pietersen, etc.) his performances become even more astounding.

 

22. GEORGE LOHMANN (ENG) Right Arm Fast-Medium (1884-97)

Tests- 18, Wickets- 112, Avg- 10.75, 5W- 9, Best- 9/28

1841 FC wickets at 13.73 with 176 five-wicket hauls

There have been very few bowlers who have dominated batsmen in their time and none have managed to match the extent of George Lohmann’s overpowering domination of the batsmen of his generation. His figures speak volumes of his bowling prowess but cricket is much more than just the statistics. He was purely a medium pacer but possessed the ability to seam the ball both ways. This ability, along with dangerous innovations and experimentations, made him the greatest bowler of his times and one of the greatest ever. He started slow, taking just 1 wicket at 87 in his first two Tests but never looked back after that, amassing 111 wickets in his next 16 games at 10.07, including four 8-wicket hauls and a world record 9/28.

 

21. ANIL KUMBLE (IND) Legbreak Googly (1989-2010)

Tests- 132, Wickets- 619, Avg- 29.65, 5W- 35, Best- 10/74

ODIs- 271, Wickets- 337, Avg- 30.89, 4W- 10, Best- 6/12

1136 FC wickets at 25.83 with 72 five-wicket hauls

For a spinner, Anil Kumble hardly turned the ball much. He did not possess a great amount of turn or variation but relied more on bounce and pace (typically the weapons of medium pacers and not spinners) but even then, this lion-heart from India emerged as one of the most successful bowlers of all time. His unusual action and bowling method made him virtually unplayable on wearing pitches (as Pakistan discovered at Kotla in 99). In a long and gritty career, Kumble revived spin bowling (along with Warne and Muralitharan) and claimed every Indian bowling record in the book. By the time he retired, Kumble was the third most successful bowler in international cricket history.

 

Next time, we move in the big league, looking at the back end of the 20 greatest bowlers the game has ever seen. The penultimate part coming soon!

25 Most Lethal Fast Bowlers in Cricket History- Part 1

There is no more beautiful sight in world cricket than a genuine pace bowler sneaking past the batsman’s defense and uprooting that middle stump.

Fast bowlers have to be lethal. They need that ‘death stare’ to tell the batsman “You might have hit this one to the fence, but beware of the cannonball coming right at you.” A fast bowler is someone who literally makes you shit your pristine white trousers when you see him charging down the run up like a 1930s steam locomotive. (Note: The above anecdote has no resemblance to reality and is certainly not out of personal experience.) So when he starts hurling those 5 1/2 ounce red (or white, depending on your preference and attention span) mortar shells at you, just be scared, very scared.

Now, I’m not trying to list out the greatest or the best fast bowlers of all time; just the most lethal ones. What does that mean? That means that you don’t necessarily have to be a world-class bowler but you have to be scary, demonic scary, one way or the other. It can be your pace, your wicket-taking ability, your sheer consistency or just the impact you had on the game or the batsmen’s psyche in your time.

Some 1200 fast bowlers have taken up the ball in the 2008 tests that have been played between 1877 and 2011; but these are the 25 that no sane man in his right state of mind would ever want to face. Here is the bottom 13 in the first of this two-part list.

25. SIR RICHARD HADLEE (NZ)

Tests- 86, Wickets- 431, Average- 22.30

Now here was a man with an insatiable appetite. A world record 431 wickets just weren’t enough for him, so he also scored 3,000 odd runs at an average of 27 with 2 tons. He was a genuine wicket-taking machine who racked up a monumental 36 fifers in his career, the most by any fast bowler. But he is so low on the list simply because; he wasn’t exactly the fast and the furious. He was effective, consistent, and even classy; but not outright lethal.

24. IMRAN KHAN (PAK)

Tests- 88, Wickets- 362, Average- 22.81

Imran Khan’s greatness was beyond numbers and lists. It lay in his presence on the cricket field, in the confidence he inspired in his team mates and the awe he inspired in his opponents. Add to this an astute cricketing brain that, at 40, was still sharp enough to lead a team of underdogs to a memorable World Cup triumph. And oh, did I mention, he was the pioneer of that irksome thing known as the reverse swing. But despite all this, he never got terrifying. His method of taking wickets never involved getting under the skin of the opposition, something that he left to his two famous protégés.

23. SF BARNES (ENG)

Tests- 27, Wickets- 189, Average- 16.43

Statistically, Barnes is to bowling what the Don is to batting- unmatchable. He took 189 wickets in his career at the rate of 7 wickets per match, a rate quicker than all the bowlers who have taken 100 wickets or more. In the pre- World War I days, Barnes epitomised bowling. To say that batsmen feared him would be like saying that US is not too fond of Al Qaeda; it tells the bare minimum. He was the nemesis to all batsmen in his age. Despite this, he goes no higher than 23 because sadly, Barnes was a medium pacer and he seldom bowled over 75 miles an hour. But even then, he was terrifying for the opponents and perhaps one of the select few, who could inspire fear without the advantage of raw pace. For that, R.E.S.P.E.C.T!

22. CHARLIE GRIFFITH (WI)

Tests- 28, Wickets- 94, Average- 28.54

Griffith was one-half of Windies captain Frank Worrell’s demonic new ball attack that might have been used to terrorise half the civilized world in the absence of any weapons of mass destruction. In 1962, a Griffith bouncer shattered the skull of the Indian captain Nari Contractor. Barely hanging on to his life, Contractor never played Test cricket again. Now any bowler good enough to end a career with a single delivery is lethal in my book. He was everything a Caribbean fast bowler should be- fast, menacing and unpredictable. The only thing that did him in was inconsistency. Had he played more, Griffith might have sent a few more promising batsmen to the trauma centre at the Kingston General.

21. FRANK ‘TYPHOON’ TYSON (ENG)

Tests- 17, Wickets- 76, Average- 18.56, Fastest- 94.0

They called him Typhoon Tyson. I think I should rest my case right here. With a name like Frank Holmes Tyson, he could either have been a bareknuckle brawler or a tearaway fast bowler. To the relief of several brawlers in London and the dismay of many batsmen around the world, Tyson chose the latter. Few can ever match him in terms of raw pace and aggression. However, his unorthodox action led to several injuries and he retired after just 8 years on the professional circuit.

20. FRED ‘THE DEMON’ SPOFFORTH (AUS)

Tests- 18, Wickets- 94, Average- 18.41

Spofforth was probably the first great bowler in Test cricket history. During the times when Australia were nothing but a side England liked to beat every now and then, Spofforth was the one name that stood up to the likes of WG Grace and Arthur Shrewsbury. Though he was not a tearaway fast bowler, he managed to scare the opposition with a larger-than-life action and wicket taking ability. He single-handedly gave Australia their first ever Test victory in 1881 taking 7/44 with such ferocity that the opposition dubbed him ‘The Demon Bowler.’

19. BILL VOCE (ENG)

Tests- 27, Wickets- 98, Average- 27.88

In the 1932 Ashes series, when left arm pacer Bill Voce struck the Australian batsman Stan McCabe on the head, it almost caused a diplomatic row. The series was immortalized as the infamous Bodyline Tour where Voce confounded the Australian batsmen with his steep bounce and lethal line. But, he was not just a one-race-horse. Even after abandoning the bodyline technique, Voce terrorised the hell out of Bradman and company in several subsequent Ashes series taking wickets and breaking jaws at will.

18. KEITH MILLER (AUS)

Tests- 55, Wickets- 170, Average- 22.97

When Australia toured England after the Second World War, they stopped at Ceylon to play a practice game against the local side. The inexperienced groundsman at Colombo prepared a 20-yard pitch instead of the usual 22. When the Australian skipper Bradman found this out, he barked at the ground staff, “You expect them to play Keith Miller at 20 yards? Why don’t you break their fingers yourselves?” Miller was pace personified. He was raw, unbridled speed and could make any seasoned batsman feel like a lost kid trying to find his mommy. And before I forget, he started his career as a batsman and scored nearly 3,000 runs at an average of 37 with 7 tons.

17. GLENN ‘PIGEON’ MCGRATH (AUS)

Tests- 124, wickets- 563, Average- 21.64, Fastest- 88.5

Now before you slap a straitjacket on me and question my sanity, let me say this out loud for everyone to hear- he might not have had the pace but he sure was lethal. Glenn McGrath would probably be the last man on earth you’d want to face in the dying stages of any limited over game. That razor sharp accuracy, that stifling line and those questioning eyes earned him over 500 wickets at a phenomenal average. Without any express pace or deadly bounce, Pigeon still managed to break a few ribs along the way. (For those in doubt, contact Kevin Pietersen.)

16. DALE STEYN (RSA)

Tests- 46, Wickets- 238, Average- 23.21, Fastest- 93.8

Steyn looks more like a demonic apparition than any other cricketer in history. He seems to have taken over the mantle from Allan Donald in making batsman wet their trousers on a regular, consistent basis. He is currently the best bowler in the world, and that too by a country mile. On his day, Steyn can bowl at a whirlwind pace, generating an unbelievable amount of bounce and make batsmen rethink about their decision of taking up cricket in the first place.

15. BRETT LEE (AUS)

Tests- 76, Wickets- 310, Average- 30.81, Fastest- 99.8

In terms of sheer speed, there are only a few who can match up to this blonde bombshell. For over a decade, Brett Lee was relentless in churning out the fastest deliveries in the history of cricket and having a personal contest with Shoaib Akhtar over being called the fastest ever. He did not possess the wicket taking ability of Lillee or the accuracy of McGrath, but he had the heart of a lion that enabled him to bowl at a phenomenal 97 mph at the age of 34 in the 2011 IPL.

14. WASIM AKRAM aka ‘THE SULTAN OF SWING’ (PAK)

Tests- 104, Wickets- 414, Average- 23.62

In his heyday, Wasim Akram could bend it better than Beckham. The wholesale proprietor of the ‘banana swing,’ Akram used his mentor Imran Khan’s teachings to a devastating effect. He was rattling the off, middle and leg stumps of the world’s best when the likes of Akhtar and Steyn were in playschool; and to his credit, he continued to do so right until the next generation arrived. For a diabetic man to leave a sour taste in the batsmen’s mouth is surely the epitome of irony.

13. COURTNEY WALSH (WI)

Tests- 132, Wickets- 519, Average- 24.44, Fastest- 93.4

For the first half of his career, Walsh played the supporting role to the much quicker Malcolm Marshall; but soon after the senior pro retired, Walsh came into his own. He delivered the ball from a towering height of 10 feet, making it impossible for mere mortals to do anything but run for cover. Even in his late 30s, Walsh was untouched by injuries (note to self: send Indian bowlers to Walsh for fitness tips) and could bowl in the 90 mph bracket consistently with a steep, deadly bounce.

Catch the twelve most lethal ones in Part 2