5 current fast bowlers who can break Shoaib Akhtar’s record of fastest ball in international cricket
Newswire
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar still owns the record of fastest delivery in international cricket, even after more than 18 years of his historical delivery. During ODI World Cup 2003, the right-arm pacer bowled a speed gunner against England, which clocked 161.3 km/hr.
Post the event, many fast bowlers have dominated international cricket, however, no one has so far managed to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record.
Pace bowling is a big aspect of any team in the game of cricket. Pacers often give a good start to the team with their bowling attack, and sometimes also bag a breakthrough for the team when required.
In the current era, there are many pace bowlers who are widely known for their deadly pace attack, and hence, they might bowl the fastest-ever delivery in international cricket in the future. Here we talk about 5 current fast bowlers who can break Shoaib Akhtar’s record of the fastest ball.
Jofra Archer is the first fast bowler who has the ability to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record. England pacer Archer, who has been out of the field since March this year due to an elbow injury, is one of the deadly pacers in international cricket currently. The right-arm pacer has often bowled balls crossing 150 kph. His fastest ever delivery is 153.62 kph.
Anrich Nortje is another pacer who has the ability to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record of fastest delivery. The South African pacer is known for his deadly pace attack, which also helps him to keep a low economy rate during his bowling. He has bowled the fastest delivery in IPL 2020 season, touching a speed of 156.22 kph. He also bowled the joint-fastest ball of 153 kph in ICC T20 World Cup 2021 recently.
Mark Wood is another England pacer who can break the record for fastest delivery in international cricket. The right-arm English pacer bowled a 155 kph delivery in a T20I game against India in March this year. This is the fastest delivery by an England pacer in international cricket. Wood has often managed to touch the 150 kph mark in matches and is a worthy contender to be part of this list.
Lockie Ferguson is another fast bowler who can break Shoaib Akhtar’s record. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021, Ferguson bowled the fastest delivery of the tournament, with one of his deliveries reaching the 153.63 kph mark. The New Zealand pacer is a regular member of the national side in the limited-overs format. With his pace attack, Ferguson might also bowl the fastest delivery in international cricket in the future.
Haris Rauf is another fast bowler in this list. The Pakistan pacer recently bowled the joint-fastest ball in ICC T20 World Cup 2021 tournament. The right-arm pacer bowled a 153 kph speed gunner against Afghanistan. Pakistan has always been a land of fast bowlers, and Haris Rauf is one of them. In the future, he might surpass Shoaib Akhtar’s record of fastest delivery.
