Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in International Cricket History: Speed Records Ranked

Cricket has always had a different kind of excitement when there is fast bowling. At over 150km/h, a batter only has a fraction of a second to react when the ball is coming in at that speed, and only a small group of bowlers have consistently bowled at those extreme speeds. The Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in International Cricket have been some of the most feared pacers the game has seen. Pakistan s Shoaib Akhtar still holds the top spot with his famous 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) delivery against England in the 2003 Cricket World Cup. Other great quicks have come very close, with Australia’s Brett Lee and Shaun Tait also breaking the 160km/h barrier. Just because someone is fast doesn’t make him a great bowler. Accuracy, movement, fitness, control and being able to take wickets in different conditions are equally important. However, the ability to bowl 150 km/h or more is still one of the most impressive physical feats in the game.

Here is a look at the fastest bowlers, their fastest recorded speeds and the performances that earned their reputations.

Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in the History of International Cricket

Historic speed lists can be all over the board, especially for bowlers of the past when the technology used to measure speed was different than the radar guns used today.

1. Shoaib Akhtar : 161.3 KPH

Shoaib Akhtar holds the most celebrated speed record for fast bowling in international cricket.

The Pakistan pacer, better known as the Rawalpindi Express, delivered a ball that registered 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph) against England in the 2003 ODI World Cup in Cape Town.

That delivery made Akhtar the first bowler officially recorded to have broken the 100mph barrier in international cricket.

Speed was only part of his menace. His long run up, explosive action, reverse swing and aggressive approach made him a particularly uncomfortable opponent.

Injury played a part at different stages of his career but few bowlers inspired the same sense of danger when operating at full pace.

His 161.3 km/h mark still remains the benchmark more than two decades later and keeps Akhtar at the top of the Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in International Cricket.

2. Brett Lee – 161.1 Kmph

Brett Lee produced terrifying speed with a supremely fluent bowling action. In his prime years, the Australian pacer was often clocked over 150 km/h and his fastest was around 161.1 km/h. Lee was part of a fearsome Australian attack, and could trouble batsmen with pace, yorkers and movement. But longevity was what separated him from many pure speedsters. The physical toll fast bowling takes on the body makes it difficult to maintain an extreme pace for a long international career. Lee was a big part of Australia’s attack in both Tests and limited overs cricket despite serving up spells at serious pace.

3. Shaun Tait – 161.1kph

Shaun Tait was one of cricket’s most naturally explosive fast bowlers. His unorthodox slingy action generated huge pace, with speeds of around 161.1 km/h being clocked against England. Tait’s international career was shorter than many bowlers on this list, partly because bowling at such intensity put enormous strain on his body. But he was a very tough guy to play against at his best. In limited-overs cricket, he was particularly dangerous with a combination of erratic movement and sheer pace.

4. Jeff Thomson - 160.6 kph

Jeff Thomson terrorised the opposition with his pace in the 1970s and remains one of the quickest bowlers the game has ever produced. His slinging action produced insane speed, with historical testing putting him around 160.6 km/h. And Thomson’s pace is even more impressive when you consider the equipment and conditions under which he was playing. Batters faced him without many of the protective innovations today’s players enjoy. Thomson and Dennis Lillee were part of one of the most feared fast bowling partnerships in Australia. It’s difficult to compare historical speed measurements with today’s radar technology, but Thomson’s reputation among the players who faced him leaves little doubt about his exceptional pace.

5. Mitchell Starc – 160.4 km/hr

Mitchell Starc has been one of the quickest left-armers of the modern era. The Australian quick bowled a 160.4 km/h delivery against New Zealand in the 2015 Test at the WACA in Perth. Starc’s biggest strength is not just pure pace. His late swing, left-arm angle and capacity to bowl deadly yorkers make him a threat with both the new ball and the old ball. He has also had some big performances in World Cups and Test cricket proving that extreme pace can be mixed with sustained international success and cementing his place among the Top 10 Fastest Bowlers in International Cricket.

6. Andy Roberts – 159.5 KPH

Sir Andy Roberts was one of the creators of the great West Indies fast bowling tradition. Roberts was a fast and clever bowler in an era when the Caribbean was producing some of the most fearsome pace attacks the game has ever seen. His fastest deliveries have been clocked at around 159.5km/h in the past. But he wasn’t just trying to throw every pitch as hard as he could. Roberts varied his pace well and mixed his bouncers to keep the batters guessing. Beyond the numbers, his influence helped create the fast-bowling culture that would come to define West Indies cricket for years to come.

7. Fidel Edwards – 157.7km/h

In the 2000s the West Indies had a genuine pace bowler in Fidel Edwards. His action was compact and sling-like and he was able to bowl up to 157.7 km/h. Edwards was particularly good when pitches gave him a chance to hit the ball off the fence. His release made the ball hard to pick up, and his speed took time away from the batter’s reaction time. Injuries meant he could not keep that up for his entire international career, but at his quickest he was comfortably one of the fastest bowlers of his generation.

8. Mitchell Johnson - 156.8 km/h

Mitchell Johnson’s fastest deliveries were around 156.8 km/h, but numbers don’t tell the whole story of how intimidating he became. His performance in the 2013-14 Ashes series remains one of the most memorable fast-bowling performances of the modern age. Johnson combined pace with an awkward bounce and a left-arm angle that kept England s batsmen guessing. When he was in his rhythm he could turn a Test match in a short spell. His career was an important point about fast bowling: sustained hostility can count for more than one ball of exceptional speed.

9. Mohammad Sami – 156.4 km/h

Pakistan has a long history of fast bowlers and Mohammad Sami was one of the fastest. Sami could run around 156.4 km/h and had some serious pace early in his international career. His natural pace was never in question, even though his overall record did not compare with some of Pakistan s other fast-bowling greats. With Shoaib Akhtar he gave Pakistan an attack that could test batsmen with genuine pace from both ends.

10. Shane Bond – 156.4kph

Shane Bond was one of New Zealand’s most lethal fast bowlers. At his peak Bond was about 97 mph and that speed was combined with great control and movement. His greatest challenge was injury. His persistent fitness problems meant he was rarely available for international duty and cricket fans didn’t get to see as much of him as they might have liked. But when fit Bond could trouble even the world’s strongest batting lineups. He was much more than a bowler who just clocked high numbers on a speed gun because of his wicket taking ability, his pace and his accuracy.