All Time Greatest Fast Bowler Ever

[Wallaby]

I faced Simon Davis once. he was a (barely) medium pacer who played a few ODIs for Australia in the 80s. It was an indoor net, so he was bowling off about 4 steps.

I still haven't seen the ball.

 

[footyfan1978]

Whispering Death, Big Bird, Andy Roberts and Malcolm Marshall.
Surely never been a more scary time to bat than the challenge of all of them able to bowl at you.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ah524EPXxo

They had guys like Colin Croft, Wayne Daniel, Sylvester Clarke and Winston Davis as back up around this late 1970's early 80's era. Incredible really.

When a few of them had retired you have Walsh, Ambrose. Patterson and Bishop that were not much slower and all had height on their side of these later guys.

 

[footyfan1978]

The greatest fast bowler ever throwing his toys out of the cot.
I just love it. Don't think the other Australian players or other side wanted him to be using it but he was stubborn as a maul to stand his ground until captain started walking on ground to talk sense to him, and he throws his bat.
Ha ha ha. Wish the video went longer so I could see what he said to Greg Chappell and the umpires.


Edit:
Just found this which is interesting follow up on that event.


Richie asks him about it too.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

For someone who never saw him play, can someone explain to me what made Kapil Dev a great bowler?

Was he genuinely quick or was he more of a McGrath type? A good swinger or cutter of the ball?

Looking at the numbers his record doesn't stack up to the best bowlers. Playing in India probably hurt him a bit but his record isn't amazing in more pace friendly countries.

Swing and accuracy mostly. In the most benign of conditions he could bring out the slightest bit of life in the deck, get the ball to move in the air - even with the old ball well before "reverse swing" was discovered.
His record stacks up against just about anyone, yet he played half his games on Indian decks that offer nothing to most fast, swing, and seam bowlers. He wasn't as good on helpful decks as other quicks though, as learned his craft in the toughest conditions of all.

 

[Mockcockpit]

A little surprised to see no votes for Imran. Most would have the two Ws ahead of him for Pakistan and I agree it's a close run thing but not me. That prancing run and leap! First real superstar from the sub-continent.

 

[western royboy]

If l were picking my fast bowling quartet - based upon what I have witnessed it would be;

Marshall
Lillee
Akram
Holding

Apologies to Sir Richard.

Score runs against that attack.

 

[SouthSwans]

If l were picking my fast bowling quartet - based upon what I have witnessed it would be;

Marshall
Lillee
Akram
Holding

Apologies to Sir Richard.

Score runs against that attack.

No room for Ambrose?

 

[footyfan1978]

If l were picking my fast bowling quartet - based upon what I have witnessed it would be;

Marshall
Lillee
Akram
Holding

Apologies to Sir Richard.

Score runs against that attack.

Not bad.
Great attack.
I'd probably only make one change.
I'd pick Hadlee ahead of Marshall

Probably
Marshall
Imran Khan
Andy Roberts and
McGrath in my second eleven.

 

[footyfan1978]

A little surprised to see no votes for Imran. Most would have the two Ws ahead of him for Pakistan and I agree it's a close run thing but not me. That prancing run and leap! First real superstar from the sub-continent.

Would not have Waquar ahead of Imran but Wasim with his left arm swing and pace just pips Imran as best Pakistani bowler I ever seen. Having said that, it was Imran that taught Wasim how to be that good.
Imran Khan for me as a kid was the first guy that was a master on inswinger and could bowl at very fast pace to go with it. In fact I think every bowler that learnt reverse and deadly inswing in recent decades can be traced back from some other bowler that got taught directly by Imran Khan. I think when Imran played for NSW he taught Geoff Lawson and other bowlers and they taught the knowledge on, however the Paki's seem to be the masters of it. Brett Lee probably the guy that in Australia that ever got really good at it. Damien Fleming too would use it to deadly effect at times. He got some dramatic reverse swing in a few games. Imran seem to do it most consistently of any bowler. Whatever he taught Waquar and Wasim was the full package of the knowledge how to master the skill.

 

[KiwiRoo]

Imran probably showed them how to use a bottle top properly
There was a lot of suspicion around Waqar & Wasim about ball tampering and its probably fair to say that since the umpires started inspecting the ball the amount of swing dropped..

Interestingly Richard Hadlee has suggested that bowlers be allowed to legally tamper with the ball ie Pick the seam

 

[western royboy]

No room for Ambrose?

No - it's a very hot field - the best of the best - i agonised over Holding v Hadlee for make up I went Holding as Hadlee & DK were similar bowlers. I've got pure pace in 3, a left armer and most effective on any surface. It's a dream attack.

 

[KiwiRoo]

No - it's a very hot field - the best of the best - i agonised over Holding v Hadlee for make up I went Holding as Hadlee & DK were similar bowlers. I've got pure pace in 3, a left armer and most effective on any surface. It's a dream attack.

I'd have Hadlee over Holding WR. Lillee can provide the pace as he was very quick early in his career .....
and Hadlee got wickets everywhere . need a 3rd seamer into the wind bowler !

 

[blackcat]

Would not have Waquar ahead of Imran but Wasim with his left arm swing and pace just pips Imran as best Pakistani bowler I ever seen. Having said that, it was Imran that taught Wasim how to be that good.
Imran Khan for me as a kid was the first guy that was a master on inswinger and could bowl at very fast pace to go with it. In fact I think every bowler that learnt reverse and deadly inswing in recent decades can be traced back from some other bowler that got taught directly by Imran Khan. I think when Imran played for NSW he taught Geoff Lawson and other bowlers and they taught the knowledge on, however the Paki's seem to be the masters of it. Brett Lee probably the guy that in Australia that ever got really good at it. Damien Fleming too would use it to deadly effect at times. He got some dramatic reverse swing in a few games. Imran seem to do it most consistently of any bowler. Whatever he taught Waquar and Wasim was the full package of the knowledge how to master the skill.

 

[blackcat]

He has a superior record to pretty much all of them. What is your justification for not including him? By any objective measure Dale Steyn is the best fast bowler of all time, since he has played in the worst decades for bowlers since the 1930s and yet still has the best strike rate of all modern bowlers including all the West Indies lot. And he has done all this with pure skill, he never had express pace like many of the names on the list, nor does he have the advantage of being tall.

Steyn can keep it in 150 if he wants, thats express in anyone's language.

 

[footyfan1978]

Steyn can keep it in 150 if he wants, thats express in anyone's language.

Probably not in Thommo's language.
Was just curious to find some old footage of Thommo on youtube before my time.
Not the best bowler ever but certainly the quickest and puts the real express in express bowling.
Steyn in comparison is simply a normal pace bowler in terms of sheer pace.

 

[TennisPlayerAndy]

Spofforth.

 

[Blue1980]

Spofforth.

Too recent to make such a big call

 

[CURVE]

Right Handed: Dennis Lillee
Left Handed: Wasim Akram.

If I could pick any 4 fast bowlers for my World 11 they would be:

Dennis Lille
Wasim Akram
Michael Holding
Andy Roberts

Whispering Death and Andy Roberts seem to be a little under rated on this forum, Holding couldn't make the poll and Roberts only has one vote, but they were the two scariest West Indies bowlers.