Top 10 Australian fast bowlers of all time

The Australian national cricket team is the most successful in the history of the sport. They are the only team to have won five ODI World Cups, which is quite an incredible achievement, without a shadow of any doubt.

Moreover, they have always been a nation that has produced top-notch batters, bowlers and fielders. This is precisely why they could make a real case for themselves, especially in the clutch moments of the game.

The Australian fast bowlers enjoyed playing at home as the Australian pitches are mostly ‘black soil pitches’, which offer more pace and bounce. As a result, the bowlers find it really comfortable pitching the ball at the right line and length and reap rewards.

Australia have produced top-tier fast bowlers in history as many went on to make an impact with the ball. Now in this listicle, let’s take a glimpse at the top 10 Australian fast bowlers of all time.

10. Ray Lindwall

Ray Lindwall was one of the important parts of Australian cricket history. He was one of the integral players in the Australian setup during the 1950s. He was best known for his sheer pace and swing and the fact that he was able to ruffle the batters’ feathers made him a special bowler. Having played 61 Tests in his career, he has accounted for 228 wickets. Moreover, he has bagged 12 fifers to his name.

9. Jason Gillespie

Jason Gillespie was a regular feature for Australia during the heydays of his cricketing career. He played in an era where Australia had all their bases covered in their fast bowling department. Jason Gillespie has taken 259 wickets in 71 Tests including eight fifers. On the other hand, he has been pretty decent in ODIs as well, taking 142 wickets in 97 ODIs including 3 fifers.

8. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc is the only fast bowler from Australia on this list who is currently representing the national cricket team across all three formats of the game. The left-arm paceman who is a regular feature in Australian cricket is known for his potential to bowl at a brisk pace. Starc has 304 wickets in Tests, 211 wickets in ODIs and 73 wickets in T20Is. He has 13 fifers in Tests and 8 fifers in ODIs.

7. Craig McDermott

During the late ’80s, Craig McDermott set the stage on fire with his fiery bowling spells and went on to become one of the finest fast bowlers for the national cricket team. After making a real case for himself as a fast bowler, he became a regular feature for Australia. Notably, he took 291 wickets in 71 Tests and 203 wickets in 108 ODIs. On the other hand, he has 14 fifers in Tests and 1 fifer in ODIs.

6. Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson was one of the Australian pacers who let the ball do the talking during the late 2000s and early 2010s. In two years and 139 days, he became the quickest bowler to take 150 Test wickets with regard to time. He was a regular feature for the Australian cricket team. The former left-arm paceman took 313 wickets in 73 Tests including 12 fifers. He took 239 wickets in 153 ODIs including 3 fifers.

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5. Charlie Turner

It is worth mentioning that Charlie Turner is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest pacers of all time. The fans of today’s generation don’t know that Charlie Turner was undoubtedly the greatest paceman of the 19th century. Known for his subtle bowling variation of pace and his perfect line and length, Charlie caused trouble to batters during the 1887-1895 period. He took 101 wickets in just 17 Tests.

4. Jeff Thomson

Jeff Thomson failed to get off to a good start to his career as he returned with 0/110 in the debut against Pakistan. However, Thomson never gave up and he went on to become one of the most feared fast bowlers in the sport. He bowled a delivery with a sensational speed of 160.6 km/h against the West Indies in Perth in 1975. Jeff took 200 wickets in 51 Tests and 50 wickets in 55 ODIs.

3. Brett Lee

Brett Lee was called “Binga” by his teammates during his stint as a fast bowler. Ever since making his debut in 1999, there was no stopping him as he went on to become one of the greatest fast bowlers in the world. The former Australian cricketer has taken 310 wickets in 76 Tests and 380 wickets in 221 ODIs. Notably, he has bagged 10 fifers in Tests and 9 fifers in ODIs.

2. Dennis Lillee

Dennis Lillee’s initial stages of his cricketing career weren’t that easy because he has a series of back issues which almost ended his career. Nevertheless, his never-give-up attitude made him one of the greatest pacers during the late ’70s and early ’80s. Dennis Lille took as many as 355 wickets in 70 Tests including 23 fifers whereas he took 103 wickets in 63 ODIs including 5 fifers.

1. Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath is probably the greatest fast bowler of all time. He was not like the ones who clocked 150+ kmph consistently but clocked 140+ kmph on a regular basis. For him, the pace was never the concern as he was able to get the better of the opposition batters by bowling at the accurate line and length. Glenn McGrath took 563 wickets in 124 Tests including 29 fifers. On the other hand, he took 381 wickets in 250 ODIs including 7 fifers.

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