<p>From Andrew Hill, who removed Nat Thomson's stumps to take the first wicket in Test Cricket history, to James Anderson, who claimed his 690th wicket. Both have been wrecking opponents from the devastating Lindwall-Miller Australian new ball combination to Wasim-Waqar and now Bumrah-Shami. Cricket and dynamics have evolved with time, but one thing that has remained constant is the ability of fast bowlers to win games on their own. They remain the most important group of players in this format and are as important as they have always been in this game.</p>
<p>The question of who has been the best fast bowler in cricket since the game's inception now emerges along with the curiosity of comparison, particularly when considering all three game formats and not just Test cricket, which is widely regarded as the purest form of the sport.</p>
<h2>Here is a list of the top 10 best pacers in international cricket:</h2>
<h3>10. Mashrafe Mortaza - Bangladesh</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mashrafe-Mortaza-2.jpg" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Though a rather short career in T ests,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/mashrafe-mortaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mortaza</a> played a good number of ODI matches and was the leader of the team as well for a good amount of time in his career. He has been a remarkable figure for the Bangla players as their team has been in emergence.</p>
<p>Playing 310 matches, his career spanned for 19 long years where he picked up 390 wickets. He contributed well with the bat too down the order as he scored 2961 runs and finished games well.</p>
<h3><br>9. Heath Streak - Zimbabwe</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1684925990678_Heath-Streak-vs-West-Indies-2001.jpeg" alt="Heath Streak vs West Indies 2001" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false">Heath Streak vs West Indies 2001. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Standing at 6ft 1in, the last pace bowler from Zimbabwe has to be the greatest ever produced by the country. In a career spanning 12 years, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/heath-streak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Streak</a> played a total of 254 matches where he scalped an amazing 455 wickets for his team. His contribution becomes more important because of the team he played for and the quality of opposition he faced in return.</p>
<p>He made immense contributions with the bat as well where he smashed a total of 4933 runs in his career, making him the greatest contributor for his country.</p>
<h3><br>8. Chaminda Vaas - Sri Lanka</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Chaminda-Vaas.jpg" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There were few options when it came to choosing the all-time great fast bowler in a nation where spinners have frequently taken the spotlight away from their rapid skills. However, the greatest seamer in Sri Lanka is ultimately the renowned <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/chaminda-vaas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chamindai Vaas</a>, who has a lightning-fast left arm.</p>
<p>In the One-Day Internationals, Vaas outperformed all Sri Lankan pacers in terms of taking wickets. He accounted for 400 ODI victims at an average of 27.54 across 322 ODI matches. It is evident from his record of 355 wickets from 111 Tests - the highest of any Sri Lankan pacer-&nbsp; how well he excelled himself in that role.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>7. Kapil Dev - India</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Dev-of-India-bowling.jpg" width="594" height="422" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By far the best fast bowler India has ever produced, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/kapil-dev" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kapil Dev</a> is one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. One of the world's top all-rounders, Kapil achieved the 1,000-run/100-wicket double in less than a year at the age of 21, setting a record that is still in place today.</p>
<p>In February 1994, at Ahmedabad, he removed Hashan Tillekeratne, surpassing Richard Hadlee's previous record of 431 test wickets. In 356 matches, he amassed an incredible 687 wickets by the conclusion.</p>
<h3><br>6. Sir Richard Hadlee - New Zealand</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sir-Richard-Hadlee.jpg" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast to other fast bowlers, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/sir-richard-hadlee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sir Richard Hadlee</a> exuded composure and serenity when playing. However, he has never bowled swiftly and calmly.</p>
<p>It was he who significantly elevated cricket in New Zealand. One of the best fast bowlers New Zealand has ever produced is Richard Hadlee.&nbsp;Among the best all-rounders in cricket history is also a name for Sir Richard Hadlee. At an average of 22.29, he claimed 431 test wickets in 86 matches. In 115 matches, he claimed 158 ODI wickets.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>5. Dale Steyn - South Africa</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Dale-Steyn-2.jpg" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Without a doubt, the best fast bowler of the modern era is <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/dale-steyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dale Steyn</a>. Steyn had shown excellent regularly for some years. Dale Steyn holds the record for the most Test bowlers to be ranked number one from 2008 to 2014.<br>He had amassed over 300 wickets in just five years. He concluded his career as his country's all-time top Test wicket-taker and became the second South African to reach 400 wickets in 2015. Dale Steyn finished the Test format with 439 wickets at an average of 22.95.</p>
<h3><br>4. Courtney Walsh - West Indies</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2018/10/Courtney-Walsh.jpg" alt="Courtney Walsh" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Courtney Walsh. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the tallest cricket players ever is Curtly Ambrose. Ambrose was 6ft 7in, and he could release the ball from almost 10ft high. His deadly pace, bounce, and swing made him one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in the game. In the WACA 1992–93 season, he claimed 7 wickets for just 1 run against Australia. One of the all-time great bowling figures was that one.</p>
<p>Curtly Ambrose grabbed 405 test wickets in 98 matches, with an average of 20.99, and also 225 ODI wickets in 176 matches. He is without a doubt one of the all-time best and quickest bowlers.</p>
<h3><br>3. Wasim Akram - Pakistan</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/wasim-Akramupload.jpg" alt="Wasim Akram" width="600" height="417" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption>Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram. (Photo: SENA VIDANAGAMA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/wasim-akram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wasim Akram</a>, often known as the "Sultan of Swing," was considered to be one of the best left-arm fast bowlers in cricket history. In addition, he is one of Pakistan's fastest bowlers ever produced.</p>
<p>There is a belief that Wasim Akram is the greatest fast bowler in ODI cricket history. He was the bowler with the ability to swing the ball both above and below the surface of the ball.</p>
<p>In terms of ODI wickets, he was the first bowler to reach 300, 400, and 500. Throughout his ODI and Test careers, Wasim claimed 502 and 414 wickets, respectively. Wasim held the record for most international wickets with more than 900 for a long time.</p>
<h3><br>2. Glenn McGrath - Australia</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1696170171455_Glenn-McGrath.jpeg" alt="Glenn-McGrath" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false">Glenn-McGrath. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For a very long time, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/glenn-mcgrath" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenn McGrath</a>, one of the best fast bowlers ever, held the world record for the most Test wickets taken by a fast bowler (after spinners Anil Kumble, Shane Warne, and Muralitharan).</p>
<p>McGrath was constantly under pressure from the batsman and bowled relatively few poor balls in his career. He was just amazing because he hit the ball to every batter at the appropriate location every time. He was the fastest bowler in test cricket history to have collected 563 wickets in Test matches, and he had also claimed 381 wickets in One-Day Internationals, for an incredible combined total of 949 wickets, when he retired.</p>
<h3><br>1. James Anderson - England</h3>
<figure class="image" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1689912649466_James-Anderson-vs-Sa-2022.jpeg" alt="James Anderson vs South Africa" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption data-gramm="false">James Anderson vs South Africa. (Photo Source: Stu Forster - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As of this writing, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/james-anderson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> is the only player on the earth to have taken 600 wickets in Test cricket as a fast bowler and is extremely close to the 700 mark (690). The idea that he's probably going to stay around and set even more records will blow your mind, even if that one piece of trivia wasn't enough to make you gasp!</p>
<p>With an incredible total of 977 wickets in all formats of the game, he has more than enough real chances to be the third ever and the only pacer to take a total of 1000 wickets across formats in his long career certainly making him the greatest pacer ever.</p>

<p>From Andrew Hill, who removed Nat Thomson's stumps to take the first wicket in Test Cricket history, to James Anderson, who claimed his 690th wicket. Both have been wrecking opponents from the devastating Lindwall-Miller Australian new ball combination to Wasim-Waqar and now Bumrah-Shami. Cricket and dynamics have evolved with time, but one thing that has remained constant is the ability of fast bowlers to win games on their own. They remain the most important group of players in this format and are as important as they have always been in this game.</p>
<p>The question of who has been the best fast bowler in cricket since the game's inception now emerges along with the curiosity of comparison, particularly when considering all three game formats and not just Test cricket, which is widely regarded as the purest form of the sport.</p>
<h2>Here is a list of the top 10 best pacers in international cricket:</h2>
<h3>10. Mashrafe Mortaza - Bangladesh</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Mashrafe-Mortaza-2.jpg" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Though a rather short career in T ests,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/mashrafe-mortaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mortaza</a> played a good number of ODI matches and was the leader of the team as well for a good amount of time in his career. He has been a remarkable figure for the Bangla players as their team has been in emergence.</p>
<p>Playing 310 matches, his career spanned for 19 long years where he picked up 390 wickets. He contributed well with the bat too down the order as he scored 2961 runs and finished games well.</p>
<h3><br>9. Heath Streak - Zimbabwe</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1684925990678_Heath-Streak-vs-West-Indies-2001.jpeg" alt="Heath Streak vs West Indies 2001" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true">Heath Streak vs West Indies 2001. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Standing at 6ft 1in, the last pace bowler from Zimbabwe has to be the greatest ever produced by the country. In a career spanning 12 years, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/heath-streak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Streak</a> played a total of 254 matches where he scalped an amazing 455 wickets for his team. His contribution becomes more important because of the team he played for and the quality of opposition he faced in return.</p>
<p>He made immense contributions with the bat as well where he smashed a total of 4933 runs in his career, making him the greatest contributor for his country.</p>
<h3><br>8. Chaminda Vaas - Sri Lanka</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Chaminda-Vaas.jpg" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There were few options when it came to choosing the all-time great fast bowler in a nation where spinners have frequently taken the spotlight away from their rapid skills. However, the greatest seamer in Sri Lanka is ultimately the renowned <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/chaminda-vaas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chamindai Vaas</a>, who has a lightning-fast left arm.</p>
<p>In the One-Day Internationals, Vaas outperformed all Sri Lankan pacers in terms of taking wickets. He accounted for 400 ODI victims at an average of 27.54 across 322 ODI matches. It is evident from his record of 355 wickets from 111 Tests - the highest of any Sri Lankan pacer-&nbsp; how well he excelled himself in that role.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>7. Kapil Dev - India</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Kapil-Dev-of-India-bowling.jpg" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>By far the best fast bowler India has ever produced, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/kapil-dev" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kapil Dev</a> is one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. One of the world's top all-rounders, Kapil achieved the 1,000-run/100-wicket double in less than a year at the age of 21, setting a record that is still in place today.</p>
<p>In February 1994, at Ahmedabad, he removed Hashan Tillekeratne, surpassing Richard Hadlee's previous record of 431 test wickets. In 356 matches, he amassed an incredible 687 wickets by the conclusion.</p>
<h3><br>6. Sir Richard Hadlee - New Zealand</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sir-Richard-Hadlee.jpg" loading="lazy">
<figcaption></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast to other fast bowlers, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/sir-richard-hadlee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sir Richard Hadlee</a> exuded composure and serenity when playing. However, he has never bowled swiftly and calmly.</p>
<p>It was he who significantly elevated cricket in New Zealand. One of the best fast bowlers New Zealand has ever produced is Richard Hadlee.&nbsp;Among the best all-rounders in cricket history is also a name for Sir Richard Hadlee. At an average of 22.29, he claimed 431 test wickets in 86 matches. In 115 matches, he claimed 158 ODI wickets.</p>
<p></p>
<h3>5. Dale Steyn - South Africa</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Dale-Steyn-2.jpg" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true"></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Without a doubt, the best fast bowler of the modern era is <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/dale-steyn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dale Steyn</a>. Steyn had shown excellent regularly for some years. Dale Steyn holds the record for the most Test bowlers to be ranked number one from 2008 to 2014.<br>He had amassed over 300 wickets in just five years. He concluded his career as his country's all-time top Test wicket-taker and became the second South African to reach 400 wickets in 2015. Dale Steyn finished the Test format with 439 wickets at an average of 22.95.</p>
<h3><br>4. Courtney Walsh - West Indies</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/2018/10/Courtney-Walsh.jpg" alt="Courtney Walsh" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Courtney Walsh. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of the tallest cricket players ever is Curtly Ambrose. Ambrose was 6ft 7in, and he could release the ball from almost 10ft high. His deadly pace, bounce, and swing made him one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in the game. In the WACA 1992–93 season, he claimed 7 wickets for just 1 run against Australia. One of the all-time great bowling figures was that one.</p>
<p>Curtly Ambrose grabbed 405 test wickets in 98 matches, with an average of 20.99, and also 225 ODI wickets in 176 matches. He is without a doubt one of the all-time best and quickest bowlers.</p>
<h3><br>3. Wasim Akram - Pakistan</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/featureimage/wasim-Akramupload.jpg" alt="Wasim Akram" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>Pakistani fast bowler Wasim Akram. (Photo: SENA VIDANAGAMA/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/wasim-akram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wasim Akram</a>, often known as the "Sultan of Swing," was considered to be one of the best left-arm fast bowlers in cricket history. In addition, he is one of Pakistan's fastest bowlers ever produced.</p>
<p>There is a belief that Wasim Akram is the greatest fast bowler in ODI cricket history. He was the bowler with the ability to swing the ball both above and below the surface of the ball.</p>
<p>In terms of ODI wickets, he was the first bowler to reach 300, 400, and 500. Throughout his ODI and Test careers, Wasim claimed 502 and 414 wickets, respectively. Wasim held the record for most international wickets with more than 900 for a long time.</p>
<h3><br>2. Glenn McGrath - Australia</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1696170171455_Glenn-McGrath.jpeg" alt="Glenn-McGrath" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true">Glenn-McGrath. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For a very long time, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/glenn-mcgrath" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Glenn McGrath</a>, one of the best fast bowlers ever, held the world record for the most Test wickets taken by a fast bowler (after spinners Anil Kumble, Shane Warne, and Muralitharan).</p>
<p>McGrath was constantly under pressure from the batsman and bowled relatively few poor balls in his career. He was just amazing because he hit the ball to every batter at the appropriate location every time. He was the fastest bowler in test cricket history to have collected 563 wickets in Test matches, and he had also claimed 381 wickets in One-Day Internationals, for an incredible combined total of 949 wickets, when he retired.</p>
<h3><br>1. James Anderson - England</h3>
<figure class="image"><img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1689912649466_James-Anderson-vs-Sa-2022.jpeg" alt="James Anderson vs South Africa" loading="lazy">
<figcaption data-gramm="false" wt-ignore-input="true">James Anderson vs South Africa. (Photo Source: Stu Forster - ECB/ECB via Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As of this writing, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-players/james-anderson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Anderson</a> is the only player on the earth to have taken 600 wickets in Test cricket as a fast bowler and is extremely close to the 700 mark (690). The idea that he's probably going to stay around and set even more records will blow your mind, even if that one piece of trivia wasn't enough to make you gasp!</p>
<p>With an incredible total of 977 wickets in all formats of the game, he has more than enough real chances to be the third ever and the only pacer to take a total of 1000 wickets across formats in his long career certainly making him the greatest pacer ever.</p>

From Andrew Hill, who removed Nat Thomson's stumps to take the first wicket in Test Cricket history, to James Anderson, who claimed his 690th wicket. Both have been wrecking opponents from the devasta

Top 10 Best pacers in International Cricket

Best pacers in international cricket.

Ranking 10 Best pacers in International Cricket

Ranking Fast Bowlers Across Nations: Check out the top 10 pacers in international cricket, highlighting their finest skills on the stumps.