Top 10 Fastest Deliveries in the History of Cricket

Cricket is often regarded as the batsman’s game. On rare occasions, bowlers tend to have an upper hand in the game. In earlier times, batsmen enjoyed a niche difference because of shorter boundaries, and larger bats, which aided the batsman and made their game easier. However many fast bowlers in the past have disturbed the batsmen and made their mark with their most powerful skills: pace, bounce, and swing. While these days pace is not such a  dangerous factor for the batsmen as those quality pacers of the past generation are missing. Although many of them are again rising from the groove to mark their names in the top fastest bowlers list, it will take some time for this generation to touch the glory. Let us take you on the tour of those bowlers who mastered pace ith accuracy and were nightmares to the batsmens’ of their generation. 

10) Shane Bond (New Zealand ) – 156.4 km/hr

Shane Bond bowled at a speed of 156.4 km/h (97.1 mph). He is New Zealand's right-arm fast bowler and is counted among the country's finest bowlers. At the 2003 World Series, his fastest ball was 156.4 kmph (97.1 mph), making him one of the most dangerous and fastest bowlers in world cricket history.  Bond played international cricket from 2002 to 2010 for only eight years due to persistent injuries, he did pick up quite a number of wickets.

During his career, he took 87 test wickets and 147 ODI wickets for the 'Black Caps' throughout his active career. In a test match against Zimbabwe in 2005, he produced his best bowling performance, capturing ten wickets for 99 runs. He has also taken five 5-wicket hauls in test matches and four 5-wicket hauls in One-Day Internationals.

9) Mohammad Sami (Pakistan) – 156.4 km/hr

Mohammad Sami bowled at a pace of 156.4 kmph (97.1 mph). Mohammad Sami, a Pakistani right-arm fast bowler, has the lowest average in test cricket. He is Pakistan's second-fastest bowler in history and the ninth-fastest bowler on our list.

In an ODI against Zimbabwe in Sharjah in April 2003, he recorded a top speed of 156.4 kmph (97.1 mph). In his active career, he has taken 85 test wickets and 121 ODI wickets for Pakistan since 2001. He is the first player in cricket history to score a hat-trick in each of the three-game formats. Sami, who is renowned for his fast bowling and swing, is without a doubt one of Pakistan's best and fastest bowlers ever produced.

8) Mitchell Johnson (Australia) – 156.8 km/hr

He bowled at a speed of 156.8 kmph (97.4 mph). Mitchell Johnson, a former cricketer who also had the ability to bat at the lower order, is Australia's best power-packed bowler. Johnson is ranked eighth among Cricket's Fastest Bowlers.

In the 4th Ashes Test, Day 3 at the MCG in December 2013, he bowled a 156.8 kmph (97.4 mph) ball against England. Johnson took 313 test wickets and 239 One-Day International wickets between 2005 and 2015. The International Cricket Board presented him with the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in 2009. In 2014, Johnson was named Cricketer of the Year as well as Test Player of the Year. The Indian T20 League franchise Kolkata acquired $314,00 for him in January 2018.

7) Fidel Edwards (West Indies) – 157.7 km/hr

Fidel Edwards bowled at a speed of 157.7 kmph (97.9 mph). Since 2003, West Indian fast bowler Fidel Henderson Edwards has been a member of the West Indies National Team. In a match against South Africa in 2003, he achieved 157.7 kph (97.9 mph). Brian Lara, one of the greatest left-handed batsmen of all time, was surprised to see him in the nets.

He was eventually called up to the national squad. Fidel had 165 Test wickets and 60 One-Day International wickets as of 2021. So far, he has taken 5-wickets in 12 test matches. In addition to his international appearances, he was an active member of the Bangladesh T20 League's Khulna Franchise. He also played for two infamous franchises in the Indian T20 League.

6) Andy Roberts (West Indies) – 159.5 km/hr

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Andy Roberts was a member of the renowned West Indian quartet. In 1975, he set a new world record with delivery of 159.5 kmph against Australia in Perth. Roberts was the first Antiguan to represent the West Indies on a global stage. In 1975 and 1979, he was a member of the West Indies World Series-winning squads. During his time with the West Indies, the speedster took 202 Test wickets and 87 One-Day International wickets for the West Indies Cricket Team.

5) Mitchell Starc (Australia) – 160.4 km/hr

Mitchell Starc's bowling speed is 160.4 kmph [99.7 mph]. His outstanding performance at the WACA on the third day of the second test between New Zealand and Australia placed him at the fifth rank on the list. His fastest delivery speed was 160.4 kmph (99.7 mph). Additionally, his average pace remains consistent at 146.4 kph throughout the contests. The left-arm fast bowler was instrumental in Australia's 2015 ICC Cricket World Series victory. In his professional career, he has claimed 182 test wickets and 140 ODI wickets to his name since 2010.

He has also represented Bangalore in the Indian T20 League and Sydney in the Australian T20 league. At the 2018 Indian T20 League auction, he was signed by Kolkata for INR 9.4 crores. Without a doubt, Starc has made a name for himself.

4)  Jeffrey Thomson (Australia) – 160.6 km/hr

During his prime, Jeff Thomson was a terror for any batsman. With his blistering pace and unwavering consistency, he created dread in the minds of the opposition. In 1975, he set a new world record by bowling at a speed of 160.6 kmph against the West Indies in Perth. Thomson formed the most fearsome fast bowling pair during the 1974-75 season, partnering with Dennis Lillee. He took 200 test wickets and 55 One Day International wickets between the timespan of 1972 to 1985.

3) Shaun Tait (Australia) – 161.1 km/hr

Shaun Tait, known for his unpredictable bowling, didn't have had much success for Australia at the international level. During the 2010s, he was, however, one of the fastest bowlers. Between 2004 and 2016, he only played three Tests and 35 One-Day Internationals for Australia. Against England, he bowled his fastest delivery. The ball was thrown at a speed of 161.1 kmph. Later in his career, the right-arm bowler even broke the 100mph threshold against Pakistan in a T20I match in Melbourne.

2) Brett Lee (Australia) – 161.1 km/hr

Brett Lee bowled at a speed of 161.1 kmph. The former Australian fast bowler is the fastest bowler in his country’s cricket history and the fastest bowler in World cricket history. He bowled the fastest delivery of his life against New Zealand in Napier.

His career stats include 310 test wickets, 280 ODI wickets, and 487 First-Class wickets to his name. Lee besides being the controversial fastest bowler in his country was also known for his impressive fielding. He aided Australia in World Series twice, in 2003 and 2007. Lee was a member of the Indian T20 League franchises Punjab and Kolkata. In addition, he played for Sydney in the Australian T20 League. Here he picked his first hat-trick in T20 International cricket. In a glorious career that spanned nearly 13 years, Lee grabbed nearly 700 international wickets for Australia.

1) Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan) – 161.3 kmph 

Pakistan has been the factory for most of the cricket speedsters. Also known as the ‘Rawalpindi Express', Shoaib Akhtar is the fastest bowler the world of cricket has ever seen. The right-arm pacer from Pakistan bowled the fastest delivery in his cricketing career during the Cricket World Series 2003. Akhar, who always cherished bowling fast with accuracy, clocked 161.3 km/hr against England at Capetown. In the midst of all the cricket excitement, his aggressive bowling, and unusual movement always stole the show.

During his time, Akhtar got 178 Test wickets and 247 ODI wickets. He presently has a large fan base in his native nation Pakistan and is also popular for his game analysis all over the world.