A warm hello to all the ardent cricket lover and fantasy cricket league gamers of 11wickets.com! The debate about who are the greatest Test bowlers of all time can be endless. That is because greatness does not decide by pure statistics only. The truth is, great bowlers require to exhibit potential dominating over great batting line-ups in all conditions.
They need to put up steady performances over a long time. And have that x-factor that terrifies batsmen every single time he bowls and his potential to increase your online fantasy cricket scoreboard for you.
Hence, there is a pool of players who deserve among the best. One can debate which one is better than the other but very few can claim against their place in greatness. Let’s now look at the greatest Test bowlers of all time and play daily fantasy cricket.
Richard Hadlee
Hadlee is synonymous with New Zealand’s rise as an ambitious cricket nation. Although his early years were fairly unremarkable, his single-handed exploits in taking out solid batting line-ups of top teams helped set up his credentials as a one man-wrecker.
Amazingly, he was dominating over opponents irrespective of being part of a pretty unimpressive bowling line-up. His amazing performance against Australia in consecutive home and away series wins is one such focus on that continues to be etched in all New Zealand fan’s mind.
His 9 for 52 remains to be the best bowling figures on Australian soil. He led that performance by adding six more wickets in the second innings. It’s not a much to suggest that Australia has never been reeled just like Hadlee shook them on home soil.
Additionally, Hadlee made an even less likely win against India in India in the Mumbai Test. Hadlee was the first bowler to go beyond the 400 wickets mark in cricket history. His career average of over 22 is proof of this great fast bowler’s successes.
Muttiah Muralitharan
Muralitharan beat all the odds and emerged as the greatest spin bowler of all time. In an eventful eighteen years cricket career, his story is one of strength. His prominence over opposing batsmen was almost enchanting. The truth is, his exploits were so amazing that a threatened section of the cricket world began tossing questions about the legitimacy of his bowling.
People taunted and harassed him by detractors for being a “chucker.” Yet, nothing broke this amazing bowler’s resolve. His 800 career Test wickets at an average of 22.7 continue to be a record even today.
Glen McGrath
Glen McGrath was simply a medium-fast bowler whose bowling speed clocked around the 135 kph tag. He was the height of discipline. His potential to find a vulnerability in the rival batsman’s mental prowess and then to methodically exploit that drawback with his exact bowling was what he was renowned for. McGrath proved that the most successful bowler is one that has the ability to persistently bowl the right length and line in any state.
McGrath’s approach almost always included bowling just out of the off-stump in the corridor of uncertainness. His cricket career record of 563 wickets at an average of just over 21 is even more amazing when you look that he was just a medium-fast bowler with no other techniques except precision and swing. Glen McGrath’s knack for picking out wickets and harassing batsmen renowned.
Wasim Akram
Akram was an expert of both conventional and reverse swing. All-time greats such as Tendulkar, Laxman, and Gooch are among Akram’s biggest fans and are on record proclaiming him as the toughest bowler they faced. Akram’s average in the sub-continent is better than his entire cricket career average. In a cricket career of over 19 years, Akram has picked up 414 wickets at an average of 23.6.
Besides Waqar Yunus, Akram formed the most deadly opening bowling combos. His ability to make use of the conditions both with the new and old ball made him so unique. To emerge as the best bowler from a nation that has produced greats such as Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar and Waqar Yunus speaks volumes of Akram’s adventures with the ball. There is no question about the greatness of this leftie.
Malcolm Marshall
People regarded Marshall to bowl ferociously and his bouncers were unbelievable. As part of the famous West Indies quartet consisting of Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, and Michael Holding, Marshall was the quickest and most effective. He was the only fast bowler who crashed Sunil Gavaskar as well.
His outstanding Test bowling average of 20.94 is the best of anyone who’s taken more than 200 wickets. He could be remembered for any number of performances but what he shines for is his on the whole dominance, over opposing batsmen, that he maintained during his playing career.
Thanks for reading! Play fantasy sports and enjoy!
Read More
1. Fantasy Cricket League Record – 3 Angriest Cricketer of All-Time
2. Fantasy Cricket Records – Bowlers Capable to Score a Century at Tests
3. Fantasy Cricket: Most Dominant Cricket Team in History