Best Fast bowler (LF or RF) in the world (current)

[BKB1991]

The question would be who is second. Steyn is miles ahead.

Zaheer or Anderson are tied second for me.

 

[Aoun13]

Anderson is only good in English conditions. Best bowler should bowl good under any sort of conditions. Zaheer to me is second at the moment.

 

[6ry4nj]

Zaheer is nowhere because he isn't fast. To be fast you need to be able to sustain 90mph for 4 to 5 overs. I would like it if you had to have a quicker ball of 150+ks, but most definitions these days probably don't require that.

But no-one would include Zaheer. To be fair I doubt Anderson can do it either.

 

[sifter132]

Anderson is only good in English conditions. Best bowler should bowl good under any sort of conditions. Zaheer to me is second at the moment.

Tell that to Australian batsmen last summer . All the talk pre-Ashes was how he was crap overseas, how he'd struggled in Australia in 06/07 and how his opposite number Hilfenhaus would outbowl him. Yet Anderson was REALLY good.

If this poll were 2-3 years ago, I might have agreed with the OP about Brett Lee. After McGrath retired he bowled really well for a 2-3 year period there. Exceptions being the India tour where he lost a lot of weight with a virus, and when he had that cracked foot against SA. Outside those he was outstanding, in all forms of cricket.

Steyn is the obvious #1, but am I the only one who doesn't really rate him super highly? He bowls some lovely deliveries, has good pace and gets a lot of wickets, but there's just something about him that's not world class to me. I'm not sure what it is Probably because I'm generally biased towards bowlers with a bit more economy and control. Hard to argue with a 40 S/R though (but I'll try...)

 

[Aoun13]

Tell that to Australian batsmen last summer . All the talk pre-Ashes was how he was crap overseas, how he'd struggled in Australia in 06/07 and how his opposite number Hilfenhaus would outbowl him. Yet Anderson was REALLY good.

If this poll were 2-3 years ago, I might have agreed with the OP about Brett Lee. After McGrath retired he bowled really well for a 2-3 year period there. Exceptions being the India tour where he lost a lot of weight with a virus, and when he had that cracked foot against SA. Outside those he was outstanding, in all forms of cricket.

Steyn is the obvious #1, but am I the only one who doesn't really rate him super highly? He bowls some lovely deliveries, has good pace and gets a lot of wickets, but there's just something about him that's not world class to me. I'm not sure what it is Probably because I'm generally biased towards bowlers with a bit more economy and control. Hard to argue with a 40 S/R though (but I'll try...)

Major test is in subcontinental conditions where Anderson fails quite badly. He is good where conditions are similar to English if not exactly English.

Steyn in #1 becuase there is no one of his match. Had he been in different era no one rate him that high.

 

[War]

Major test is in subcontinental conditions where Anderson fails quite badly. He is good where conditions are similar to English if not exactly English.

When Anderson played in the sub-continent before he wasn't at his peak, which he has been at since the 2010/11 Ashes performace.

Although alot of the conditions were very English like in Australia last winter. The times when the sun came out and pitches became flat, Anderson also proven he could bowl in such conditions, by showing for the 1st time in his career he could reverse swing the ball.

So currently Anderson certainly has developed the skills to be a wicket-taking threat on roads.

 

[Howsie]

Yeah, James Anderson hasn't played a test match in the subcontinent since 2008, a tad harsh to use that against him now where he wasn't half the bowler he is now.

 

[Aoun13]

When Anderson played in the sub-continent before he wasn't at his peak, which he has been at since the 2010/11 Ashes performace.

Although alot of the conditions were very English like in Australia last winter. The times when the sun came out and pitches became flat, Anderson also proven he could bowl in such conditions, by showing for the 1st time in his career he could reverse swing the ball.

So currently Anderson certainly has developed the skills to be a wicket-taking threat on roads.

You must consider his performance in WC. For a real fast bowler he should have to bowl well there.

 

[cricket_icon]

Agreed, Anderson isn't the best choice for the number 2 best bowler on the planet but it's the best the world has, just goes to show how depleted stocks are right now. Only wish Amir hadn't done what he did .
Zaheer Khan can't be considered a fast bowler. But he is definitely the best medium-fast on the planet.

 

[mgt98]

Surely it has to be Steyn. He bowls a good line and length and just teases the batsman. He is also not too bad with the bat. He gets my vote.

 

[Fenil]

Morne Morkel! I think he's more lethal than Steyn on green pitches. Steyn has speed but Morne has both speed and bounce. Also, in the Asian sub-continent, I've seen Steyn's pace dropping a lot while Morne is consistent with pace of over 142-144 kmph.

 

[Bevab]

I can vote Morne for second. How can you people ignore him and instead go to Zaheer? He has no pace or speed. But still its Steyn who gets my vote for the first.

Steyn would have received competition if Asif and Aamer were there, and also the Mitchell Johnson 2 or 3 years back. Malinga too has the ability to test Morkel for second.

 

[cricket_icon]

Morkel second along with Anderson. Can't believe I forgot about Morne. Malinga shouldn't really be considered since he no longer plays Test cricket.

 

[Fenil]

Zaheer shouldn't be considered too as he's isn't that fast to be called as LF bowler.

 

[War]

You must consider his performance in WC. For a real fast bowler he should have to bowl well there.

No i wouldn't hold that againts him. Since its sorta common cricket knowledge that you cant compare ODI and test form of players, because many players since the invention of ODI cricket all over the world have tended to shine in ODIs but struggle in tests or visa versa.

Yuvraj, Bevan, Roger Twose, Brett Lee before 2005, Robin Singh, Nick Knight for example with regards to being ODI stars and test strugglers.

So we gotta wait until Anderson bowls in Sri Lanka and Pakistan (on neutral venue) this winter and in India 2012/13 to judge his test credentials in the sub-continent.