Fast bowling is an integral part of the sport that each of us loves. Over the years, the cricket community has been blessed to see some of the greats in this section of the game. The community witnessed Wasim Akrama and Waqar Younis bowl and rattle the opposition in tandem. We also witnessed the deadly West Indian Quartet instilling fear in the batters. So, in today’s game, who are the top fast bowlers?
The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is closing in and each team is looking to settle their fast bowling unit. T20 involves two types of fast bowling skills. The teams need to look for someone who can swing the ball early on and won’t miss the yorkers at the death. Here is a look at the top 5 pace sensations expected on the global stage:
1) Pat Cummins will play for Australia at the ICC T20 World Cup:
Pat Cummins the red-ball leader of the men with the baggy greens will play for Australia at the ICC T20 World Cup in October. Australia is the hosting country and they are also defending champions. A lot will rely on the strong shoulders of this experienced pacer. What is commendable is the fact that Cummins has managed to stay fit and fully available for any format that Australia plays.
The strong point of Pat is that he has a truck-load of experience. He started his career at the age of 18 and this has worked very well for him. He has a very precise bouncer and a laser-guided yorker. Add to that the express pace that he consistently bowls at! This makes Cummins a very deadly T20 bowler. He is a thinking bowler and knows a lot about the game.
A calm-headed person, Cummins has led Australia to glory last time around. He is also working on variations such as the slower ball and the knuckleball. His teammates regard him as a fun-loving character who always keeps the team mood a little light.
2) Shaheen Shah Afridi is the top pacer currently:
I can still picture KL Rahul’s off-stump flying off from the ground by a “jaffa” from Shaheen Shah Afridi at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He was elite in the game against India and single-handedly won Pakistan the match. His delivery to Rohit Sharma was quick, crisp, and in the right area.
Shaheen also has the same traits as Pat Cummins. He started in the year 2018 at the age of 18 and has become the senior-most and most-dependable bowler for Pakistan. He is set to rattle the Indian batting once again on the Australian pitches that help the pacers. Shaheen gives the Pakistan team 2 to 3 good overs in the powerplay. His balls are quick and have a deadly in-swing for the right-hander. He can again look to exploit Rohit Sharma’s weakness against the left-arm pacers. His performance in the PSL has been worth-talking.
3) Jasprit Bumrah will play for India at the ICC T20 World Cup:
J Boom will be the leader of the Indian pace bowling attack. The Indian attack looks a little disturbed at the moment but that will be sorted by the time of the World Cup. But Jasprit Bumrah is sure to make it to the flight to Australia in October.
In one of the most mediocre seasons that Bumrah has had in the IPL, he still managed to grab 15 wickets. Something that any bowler would dream of is to grab 15 wickets in an IPL season and Bumrah has done that on his off-day! That speaks volumes of the standard that Boom has set for himself. Rohit Sharma has made effective and strategic use of Bumrah to deal with the senior batters of the opposition.
He has an express pace. He clocks 145 clicks consistently. Because of this express pace, his slower ball becomes very difficult to deal with. He has also updated his arsenal with the wide-yorker and the knuckleball. Over the years, Bumrah has assured domination inT20 cricket. And the cricket community knows very well what Bumrah can do on his day. 2 to 3 overs in the powerplay and the remaining at the death is what Bumrah has to offer.
4) Anrich Nortje will play for South Africa at the ICC T20 World Cup:
Anrich Nortje has been under the shadow of KG Rabada but has been equally effective for South Africa. He offers the exact same menu that Rabada has to offer. Both the bowlers did very well for the South African National team and for the Delhi Capitals back in 2020.
It is very unfortunate that Anrich Nortje had an elbow injury. But that hasn’t hampered his pace. He has become quicker. He held the record for bowling the fastest bowl of the IPL till IPL 2022. Anrich also has a good set of variations. He makes use of the slower ones. His stock delivery is bowled at 145+ kmph but his slower one comes at 110 kmph. Now that pace difference leaves the batters perplexed.
Honorable Mentions:
- Mitchell Starc
- Jofra Archer (Subject to fitness)
- Alzarri Joseph
5) Trent Boult will play for New Zealand:
Trent Boult has developed a special connection for the shortest format of the game. He has started bowling exceptionally well in the death overs. In the dreadful campaign that the Mumbai Indian had in IPL 2021, Boult was their most economic bowler at the death. His performances assured that the Rajasthan Royals enter the IPL 2022 finals.
He gives 2 to 3 overs in the powerplay. Also, the Australian pitches suit him very well. Not to forget he was the joint highest wicket-taker in the last World Cup played in Australia. His left-arm angle gives him an added edge. He clocks 145+ clicks consistently. With his height and higher jump, he can extract bounce from the Australian pitches and trouble the batters with the short balls.
To know more go to ICC T20 World Cup: Top 5 All-Rounders to Watch Out For.
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