Who in your opinion is the best all-formats bowler in the world at the moment?

[Saj]

There are some excellent bowlers currently playing all formats, but who do you think is the best all-formats bowler in the world at the moment?

Current ICC Rankings:


Tests




ODIs




T20Is

 

[trickyone]

Bumrah

 

[Caved12]

Went with Boult, but Starc and Bumrah are equally good.

 

[moghul]

Archer

 

[Hasan123]

Kagiso Rabada.

 

[MMHS]

Tough call - Bumrah, Archer, Boult, Rabada & Cummins are my top 5, but won't rank them. I like Rabada & Cummins most, because they are genuine fast bowlers and strongest suit is Test cricket.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Jasprit Bumrah

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Rabada and Bumrah. The rest are not on their level in all 3 formats combined.

 

[Sher Khan]

Jofra Archer is the best. Potential-wise and from what he has shown as well.

 

[Ab Fan]

At the moment is hard to say, most likely Jasprit Bumrah.

But among active all-format bowlers going by age and experience,

Starc
Boult
Shami
Rabada
Cummins
Bumrah
Archer

 

[Caved12]

Tough call - Bumrah, Archer, Boult, Rabada & Cummins are my top 5, but won't rank them. I like Rabada & Cummins most, because they are genuine fast bowlers and strongest suit is Test cricket.

No love for Starc?

 

[MMHS]

No love for Starc?

Not among top five. Also, I haven’t considered my most favourite pacers - Anderson, as he doesn’t play LO any more.

 

[Caved12]

Not among top five. Also, I haven’t considered my most favourite pacers - Anderson, as he doesn’t play LO any more.

Anderson is amazing!!

All the names in the list above are fantastic. Hard to pick any.

 

[sweep_shot]

Bumrah and Starc. I think it is a tie between them.

 

[Mesozoic]

Very tough to say.

Probably easier to pick a fab 4 like in batting and I'm pretty sure it has Cummins, Bumrah, Rabada and Boult.

Archer still has a long way to go and he hasn't yet played a single int'l game in Asia.

Starc is hands down the best ODI bowler but has been below par in Tests to say the least.

 

[Ab Fan]

Why are people considering Boult and not Starc?

Starc is a better white ball bowler and his test stats are same as Boult having played higher tests on flat Aussies wickets. Boult has also struggled outside NZ and England.

Don't give me ball-tampering excuse that it inflated his stats, everyone did that back in 90s also.

 

[ShoonyaSifar]

No clear cut winner. The contenders will be Cummins, Rabada, Bumrah, Boult, Starc and Shami. Tempted to add Archer but he hasn't done as well in Tests yet.

Cummins and Rabada are excellent Test bowlers, but not so great in LOIs. Bumrah has gone off the boil in international cricket in last few int'l series.

That leaves Boult, Starc and Shami. Between them Boult and Shami are better in Tests and Starc in LOIs.

Between Boult and Shami, with my Indian bias, I would go for Shami because I feel he is better in both Tests and ODIs and hasn't played enough T20Is (because he hasn't been good enough).

 

[angrypathan]

Despite his average IPL performances, Cummins.

 

[Titan24]

Despite small sample size, impact wise in recent times it has to be Bumrah along with maybe Boult being the second. All other pacers are great in one format or another. Archer has small sample size but high impact in LOIs as of now, in tests other than one or two performances he hasnt done much and his stats show that.

Shaheen undoubtedly and by far the best young (U-23) pacer around and going forward will need to so more against top 4-5 teams and in tests.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Jasprit Bumrah.
Archer hasn't proved anything in test cricket, starc is a rich man's brett lee in tests, Cummins isn't a great bowler in lois(good but not great).
Rabada also hasn't proven much in odis but he comes second due to his test exploits.

 

[Mamoon]

Archer.

 

[choudhary6964]

Kagiso rabada is the best in all formats but I think jofra archer will give him a lot competition in near future.Shaheen will be joining them in few years.

 

[shamaan]

Bumrah

 

[SensiblePakFan]

Definitely archer.

 

[Raja111]

Was bumrah until a few months ago
hasn't performed to the expectations in international matches after his return from injury.
Now it's between Cummins and rabada.

 

[Smudger]

Very tough to decide
1- Bumrah/Starc
2-Cummins
3-Rabada
4-Boult
5-Archer
Although Archer has been very good but he is untested on flat pitches and was brought to his knees in NZ. And Archer has not been able to stop Smith in the Ashes. Archer also has got a tedency to get smashed in LOIs sometimes

 

[Zeshan547]

Very tough to decide
1- Bumrah/Starc
2-Cummins
3-Rabada
4-Boult
5-Archer
Although Archer has been very good but he is untested on flat pitches and was brought to his knees in NZ. And Archer has not been able to stop Smith in the Ashes. Archer also has got a tedency to get smashed in LOIs sometimes

In two years time Shaheen will surpass all these, mark this post.

 

[ufcfan]

Archer

 

[Forum363]

Rabada and Starc. I would throw them the ball in most scenarios in any format.

Cummins and Bumrah are exceptional in their specialist formats too so it’s very hard to not include them.

Then you have Shaheen and Archer who have shown promise in all formats and could go on to dominate in the future but the sample size is way too small right now.

 

[Kingpin786]

Boult

 

[Zeshan547]

Rabada and Starc. I would throw them the ball in most scenarios in any format.

Cummins and Bumrah are exceptional in their specialist formats too so it’s very hard to not include them.

Then you have Shaheen and Archer who have shown promise in all formats and could go on to dominate in the future but the sample size is way too small right now.

Starc post sand paper gate is not the same force any more in Tests, and rabada is not that special in LOIs, so for me it's bumrah and Cummins are top two, and across formats Bumrah edges out by whisker, but these new kids on the block gonna be even better than these two in two years time specially Shaheen.

 

[silentkiller187]

Archer but slight concerns with his attitude at the moment, especially in test matches few murmurs of him not giving his 100% most of the time during the Windies , Pakistan tests, seems more suited and comfortable when he is playing limited overs stuff. Other than that the rest are Boult, Starc, cummins and Bumrah in no particular order, each on their day can be devastating, along with Jimmy in seaming conditions.

 

[silentkiller187]

Starc post sand paper gate is not the same force any more in Tests, and rabada is not that special in LOIs, so for me it's bumrah and Cummins are top two, and across formats Bumrah edges out by whisker, but these new kids on the block gonna be even better than these two in two years time specially Shaheen.

Are we making the insinuation that starc was benefitting from a roughed up ball, and thats why he was/is so good?

 

[Zeshan547]

Are we making the insinuation that starc was benefitting from a roughed up ball, and thats why he was/is so good?

I think stats seems to suggest so, or atleast that's the impression I have, any stats guru can verify my claim and post his test stats pre and post sandpaper gate?