Our top cricketer series has a new installment available for your reading pleasure! I’ll be looking at some of the most outstanding athletes to ever represent a number of sports in this series. In this article, I’ll analyze the top 10 bowlers in history as a follow-up to my previous one about the top ten hitters. Enjoy!
Being a strong bowler may almost assure you victory on your own in the game of cricket. If a great bowler is on his game and having a good day, he has the ability to destroy the opposing team’s batting order and give his team an easy victory. Although there have been many exceptional bowlers over the years, I’ll do my best to condense the list to the top ten below.
10. Wasim Akram (PAK) – The “Sultan of Swing,” a speedy left-handed spinner who amassed over 400 test wickets, now holds the record for the most wickets in one-day international games (502) as well as list-A cricket (881). Throughout the course of 104 appearances, a stunning 23.62 average in test matches is something to be proud of. In Test cricket, he is one of only three bowlers to have ever recorded two hat-tricks, and in One-Day International cricket, he is one of only three bowlers to have ever achieved the same feat.
9. Courtney Walsh (WIN) – Courtney Walsh was a right-handed fast bowler who bowled more than 5,000 test match overs and claimed more than 500 test match wickets during the course of his career. His partnership with Curtly Ambrose, which carried on the legacy of former West Indies fast bowlers, was one of the most feared in cricket throughout the 1990s.
8. Glenn McGrath (Australia) – Throughout the course of his career, right-handed fast bowler Walsh bowled more than 5,000 test match overs and took more than 500 wickets. In the 1990s, his tandem with Curtly Ambrose was one of the most feared in cricket, continuing the heritage of former West Indies fast bowlers.
7. Curtly Ambrose (WIN) – In just 98 Test matches, this 6’7″ giant bowled almost 1,000 maiden overs and claimed 405 wickets. He participated for both Australia and the West Indies. His average of 20.99 shows why that was the case due to the terrifying nature of his pairing with Courtney Walsh, which has previously been emphasized. Any batsman would be intimidated by his 2-meter-plus frame, which also enabled him to get a bounce on any given pitch.
6. Dennis Lillee (AUS) – Lillee, a devastating fast bowler with a fiery temper who became well-known, almost missed into the top five. With 355 wickets when he stopped participating in Test matches in 1984, he held the record, and his batting average of 23.92 is also nothing to sneeze at. Few batsmen, if any, ever looked forward to playing Lillee because they knew they would struggle against him as a result.
5. Sir Richard Hadlee (New Zealand) – Hadlee achieved the milestone of 400 test wickets first in the sport’s history as a bowler. It was generally accepted that Hadlee was seeking to release his man at that time. The New Zealander later outperformed his hero by capturing 431 test match wickets at a meager average of 22.29.
4. Malcolm Marshall (WIN) – Of all bowlers with more than 200 wickets, Marshall has the highest test bowling average. His mean stands at 20.94. His aggressive fast bowling style, especially his bouncer, which was the target of numerous attempts to have it made illegal, caused batsmen to develop a dread of him. He concluded his Test match career with 376 wickets.
3. Shane Warne (Australia) – Most people agreed that Shane Warne was the greatest leg-spinner in cricket history. The third and final Australian on this list, he was. He was the only bowler to ever be selected as one of the top five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. He was one of just two guys to have taken more than 700 wickets in test matches. He had a sizable following all around the world, but an even greater number of individuals disapproved of him because of his outspoken attitude. You can read an article about the late Shane Warne and his illustrious career on our website, Exchmarket, while reading this one.
2. Sydney Barnes (ENG)– is the first Brit to appear on this list, and some people might be surprised by his selection. Despite the fact that he didn’t take many wickets, Barnes’ test match average is still the highest I’ve ever seen. Although playing in just 27 Test matches overall, he finished with 189 wickets. That averages up to an amazing 16.43. This pattern persisted throughout his first-class career, during which he played 133 matches and took 719 wickets while maintaining a batting average of just over 17.
1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – In my opinion, Murali is the greatest bowler to have ever lived and without a doubt the greatest off-spinner of all time.
Although playing for an underwhelming Sri Lankan squad, he has collected 735 wickets in Test matches, more than any other player. He has far over 1,000 wickets and a 19.06 average in one-day internationals, which is his greatest average in all game types.
In one-day international competitions, he has a 23.00 average. In terms of the most wickets taken in one-day international matches, he is now ranked second overall. The most potent weapon he possesses is arguably his renowned doosra, which he has perfected to a level that no one else has been able to duplicate.