Top Bowlers in Cricket: Players Who Changed Matches with the Ball

Shane Warne was one of the most famous bowlers in cricket. Many fans remember his “Ball of the Century”. He played with skill and confidence. His death in March 2022 shocked the cricket world.

Warne was a right-arm leg-spinner from Australia. He played international cricket from 1992 to 2007. He wore shirt number 23. He took 708 wickets in 145 Test matches and 293 wickets in 194 ODIs. His total number of international wickets reached 1001. He also batted right-handed.

Warne played his first Test match on 2 January 1992 against India. His last Test match was on 2 January 2007 against England. In ODIs, his first match came on 24 March 1993 against New Zealand. His last ODI was on 10 January 2005 against Asia XI.

Cricket fans across the world respected him for his skill and match-winning spells. He was one of the key players in Australia’s strong team during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Muttiah Muralitharan played for Sri Lanka from 1992 to 2011 as a right-arm off-spin bowler. His bowling action caused many discussions, yet he rose past all doubts to become one of the greatest bowlers in cricket history. He took 800 wickets in 133 Test matches and 534 wickets in 350 One-Day Internationals. In addition, he played 12 T20 internationals and took 13 wickets. His shirt number was 8.

Murali’s control and skill helped him achieve 67 five-wicket hauls and 22 ten-wicket hauls in Tests. He broke Shane Warne’s record to become the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. No bowler has taken more wickets in international cricket than Muralitharan, with a total of 1,347 wickets in all formats.

He made his Test debut against Australia on 28 August 1992, and his last Test came against India on 18 July 2010. His ODI career started on 12 August 1993 against India and ended on 2 April 2011, also versus India. He played his first T20I in 2006 and finished in 2010.

James Anderson is an English cricketer who plays for Lancashire and the England team. He is the highest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test cricket and the third highest overall. Anderson is the only fast bowler to take more than 600 wickets in Test matches. He also holds the record for the most wickets by an England player in ODIs.

By June 2021, Anderson played 162 Test matches for England, becoming the most capped England player in Tests. He is seen as one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history. Anderson was the first English bowler to reach 400, 500, and 600 Test wickets.

He bats left-handed and bowls right-arm medium-fast. His shirt number is 9. As of January 2023, Anderson took 962 wickets in international cricket since his debut in 2002.

Anderson played his first Test match on 22 May 2003 against Zimbabwe. His last Test match came on 9 December 2022 against Pakistan. His ODI debut was on 15 December 2002 against Australia, and his last ODI was in March 2015 versus Afghanistan. Anderson played his first T20 International in 2007 and last in 2009.

Anil Kumble played for India from 1990 to 2008 in Test and One Day International cricket. He ranks as one of the best leg-spin bowlers in Test cricket history, with 619 wickets. In 1999, Kumble took all ten wickets in a single Test innings against Pakistan. He became the second player to do this after England’s Jim Laker.

Kumble’s bowling style relied on pace, bounce, and accuracy, not on sharp turn. He was a right-handed batsman and bowled right-arm leg-spin. His shirt number was 8. In total, Kumble took 956 wickets in international cricket.

His first Test match was on 9 August 1990 against England. His last Test was on 29 October 2008 against Australia. In One Day Internationals, he started on 25 April 1990 against Sri Lanka and played his last match on 19 March 2007 against Bermuda.

Glenn Donald McGrath played for Australia from 1993 to 2007. He was a fast-medium pace bowler and is known as one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history. He batted right-handed and bowled right-arm medium fast. His shirt number was 11.

His first Test match was on 12 November 1993 against New Zealand. His last Test match was on 2 January 2007 against England. For ODIs, he started on 9 December 1993 against South Africa and finished on 28 April 2007 against Sri Lanka. His T20I debut was on 17 February 2005 against New Zealand, and his last T20I was on 13 June 2005 against England.

Wasim Akram played for Pakistan from 1984 to 2003 and also served as the team captain. He is known as one of the best bowlers in cricket history and the greatest left-arm fast bowler. He batted left-handed and bowled left-arm fast. His shirt number was 3. Wasim was famous for his skill in reverse swing bowling. In his international career, he took a total of 916 wickets for Pakistan

Wasim made his Test debut on 25 January 1985 against New Zealand, and played his last Test on 9 January 2002 against Bangladesh. His ODI debut was on 23 November 1984 against New Zealand, and his last ODI was on 4 March 2003 against Zimbabwe.

He played his first Test on 16 November 1995 against England. His last Test was on 10 January 2008 against West Indies. His ODI debut came on 9 January 1996 against England, and his last ODI was on 3 February 2008 against West Indies. Pollock’s first T20I match was on 21 October 2005 versus New Zealand, and his last T20I was on 18 January 2008 against West Indies.

On 11 January 2008, he announced his retirement from all international cricket. His final One Day International was his 303rd match, played on 3 February.

Stuart Christopher John Broad, born 24 June 1986, is an English cricketer who plays Test cricket for England and previously played One Day and Twenty20 Internationals. He is known as one of the best fast bowlers of his generation. Broad bats left-handed and bowls right-arm medium fast. His shirt number is 8. Up to January 2023, he took 809 wickets in his career for England, which began in 2006. Below are details of his international bowling career:

Waqar Younis Maitla, born 16 November 1971, is a former Pakistani cricketer who captained the Pakistan national team. He batted right-handed and bowled right-arm medium fast. His shirt number was 99. Waqar is known as one of the greatest fast bowlers in the world.

He played 87 Test matches and 262 One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Pakistan from 1989 to 2003. In his career, he took a total of 789 wickets. Below are details of his international bowling career:

Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas was born on 27 January 1974. He is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played all formats of international cricket. Many see him as the best fast bowler Sri Lanka ever had, due to his accurate bowling and skill in swinging the ball.

Vaas batted left-handed and bowled left-arm fast. His shirt numbers were 12 and 33. He holds the record for the best bowling figures in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and is the only bowler to take 8 wickets in an ODI match.

His career for Sri Lanka lasted from 1994 to 2009. He took 761 wickets in total. Below are his career bowling stats: