Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,519
- Post of the Week
- 2
Here I am not rating the 12 best fast bowlers ever overall in order of merit,.My criteria is how they ranked at their best in a single spell.
1.Curtly Ambrose
Unimaginable intensity and hostility.Reminiscent of a cowboy mowing down his opponents or an army competing a combing operation.Who could surpass Ambrose at Perth when taking 7-22in 1992-93 or at Trinidad when taking 6-24. Curtly would make the ball rise so rearingly from a good length that opponents would be dumbfounded.Bounce was literally vertical.No bowler was better in ressurecting a team from the grave when defending a low score.
2.Wasim Akram
Equivalent of Rembrandt or Beethoven to pace bowling with artistry of magical or mythical proportions.His reverse swing was unreadable leaving batsman perplexed.Best ever on docile surfaces.Difficult to visualize any better delivery than his dismissal of Rahul Dravid at Madras in 1999.
3.Malcolm Marshall
The ultimate master of bio-mechanics who created virtually unplayable banana swing and skidding bounce.Lethal even on a spinners track like in Sydney in 1984-85.In England in 1988 arguably bowled better tan any paceman ever where at fast-medium he rattled the batsman.
4.Michael Holding
Resembled an antelope with astonishing speed through the air and the most fluent action ever.Has to his credit the bets over in test cricket bowling to Boycott in 1981 at Bridgetown and the best bowling spell ever when taking 14-149 at the Oval in 1976.He would bounce the ball very near the bat and could move the ball either way.
5.Imran Khan
Determination and agression personified.At his fastest matched strides with Jeff Thomson,combining prodigious swing.His spells versus India in 1982-83 at Karachi and Hyderabad where he captured 5 wickets apiece in around 25 balls revealed pace bowling skill in regions rarely traversed.Arguably till then no paceman ever combine sustained pace with such movement.
6.Dennis Lillee
Hostility at a crescendo and ultimate epitome of agression.His spell on the evening of the 1st test at Melbourne in 1980-81 v West Indies when he captured 3 prize scalps was amongst the most memorable ever.so too his 6026 v England in the 1977 centenary test.
7.Alan Donald
Arguably the fastest bowler of his time with more variety than any right arm paceman and great intelligence.Almost as explosive as Ambrose and versatile as Wasim.
8.Andy Roberts
Another version of Lillee with his great versatility.Posessed a slow and quick bouncer which he disguised,an effective slower ball and a lethal late oustwinger.On numerous occasions ran through batting line ups like versus India at Kingston in 1983 ,at Madras in 1974-75 or at Trent Bridge in 1980.
9.Patrick Paterson
Noone looked more like a tiger pouncing on his prey in full cry .Created tremors in the opponents camp like few ever did ,shaking batsmen to the ground.
10.Shoaib Akhtar
Ran in like an express train to create an impact of a bomber launching an air raid.His balls travelled like a missile.had he backed speed with movement and accuracy would have been right at the top.
11.Jeff Thomson
Rattled batsmen with his lightning speed and disconcerting bounce ,Arguably the most intimidating paceman of all time.From 1974-76 the greatest scourge to oponents ever.Like Akhtar lacked variation or control of other great pacemen.
12.Waqar Younus
Posesesd the most deadly swinging yorker of all and in nay condition s could cause havoc in the opponents camp.Close to the fastest of all time and bet exponents of reverse swing by a right arm bowler.
1.Curtly Ambrose
Unimaginable intensity and hostility.Reminiscent of a cowboy mowing down his opponents or an army competing a combing operation.Who could surpass Ambrose at Perth when taking 7-22in 1992-93 or at Trinidad when taking 6-24. Curtly would make the ball rise so rearingly from a good length that opponents would be dumbfounded.Bounce was literally vertical.No bowler was better in ressurecting a team from the grave when defending a low score.
2.Wasim Akram
Equivalent of Rembrandt or Beethoven to pace bowling with artistry of magical or mythical proportions.His reverse swing was unreadable leaving batsman perplexed.Best ever on docile surfaces.Difficult to visualize any better delivery than his dismissal of Rahul Dravid at Madras in 1999.
3.Malcolm Marshall
The ultimate master of bio-mechanics who created virtually unplayable banana swing and skidding bounce.Lethal even on a spinners track like in Sydney in 1984-85.In England in 1988 arguably bowled better tan any paceman ever where at fast-medium he rattled the batsman.
4.Michael Holding
Resembled an antelope with astonishing speed through the air and the most fluent action ever.Has to his credit the bets over in test cricket bowling to Boycott in 1981 at Bridgetown and the best bowling spell ever when taking 14-149 at the Oval in 1976.He would bounce the ball very near the bat and could move the ball either way.
5.Imran Khan
Determination and agression personified.At his fastest matched strides with Jeff Thomson,combining prodigious swing.His spells versus India in 1982-83 at Karachi and Hyderabad where he captured 5 wickets apiece in around 25 balls revealed pace bowling skill in regions rarely traversed.Arguably till then no paceman ever combine sustained pace with such movement.
6.Dennis Lillee
Hostility at a crescendo and ultimate epitome of agression.His spell on the evening of the 1st test at Melbourne in 1980-81 v West Indies when he captured 3 prize scalps was amongst the most memorable ever.so too his 6026 v England in the 1977 centenary test.
7.Alan Donald
Arguably the fastest bowler of his time with more variety than any right arm paceman and great intelligence.Almost as explosive as Ambrose and versatile as Wasim.
8.Andy Roberts
Another version of Lillee with his great versatility.Posessed a slow and quick bouncer which he disguised,an effective slower ball and a lethal late oustwinger.On numerous occasions ran through batting line ups like versus India at Kingston in 1983 ,at Madras in 1974-75 or at Trent Bridge in 1980.
9.Patrick Paterson
Noone looked more like a tiger pouncing on his prey in full cry .Created tremors in the opponents camp like few ever did ,shaking batsmen to the ground.
10.Shoaib Akhtar
Ran in like an express train to create an impact of a bomber launching an air raid.His balls travelled like a missile.had he backed speed with movement and accuracy would have been right at the top.
11.Jeff Thomson
Rattled batsmen with his lightning speed and disconcerting bounce ,Arguably the most intimidating paceman of all time.From 1974-76 the greatest scourge to oponents ever.Like Akhtar lacked variation or control of other great pacemen.
12.Waqar Younus
Posesesd the most deadly swinging yorker of all and in nay condition s could cause havoc in the opponents camp.Close to the fastest of all time and bet exponents of reverse swing by a right arm bowler.
