The Pad First All-Time Test XI: Fast Bowlers

All Test cricket teams that have won a Test match have a single thing in common: they’ve bowled out their opposition twice. Batsmen, it is said, save you matches; bowlers win them. While it’s not as simple as this, it is incredibly important to ensure not just that you have a good bowling attack, but that it is a balanced attack in the conditions (or in this case, all conditions). Teams usually pick 4 bowlers (at least), and mine is no exception, with Garry Sobers as the already-mentioned all-rounder. How that bowling attack shapes up is of utmost importance; throughout history teams have experimented with the numbers of fast bowlers versus the number of spin bowlers, with the 1970’s and 80’s West Indians often picking 4 quicks, and India in the same era occasionally picking 3 spinners. My side will go with the more classical 3 fast bowler split, but even then the balance of the attack is incredibly important. You need variation between fast bowlers, with bowlers that are quick, that can swing and seam the ball, that are accurate, and that are strike bowlers. It’s no good picking three carbon-copy right arm paceman, no matter how good they are.

Fortunately, my selections of Wasim Akram, Malcolm Marshall, and Dennis Lillee are not only incredibly balanced, but, in my opinion, are 3 of the top fast bowlers of all time.

8. Wasim Akram – Pakistan 1985-2002

Wasim Akram – almost unequalled among left arm pacemen

With his good friend Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram formed one of the most exciting new ball partnerships in the history of cricket throughout the 1990’s. Both were quick, could swing the ball, and were effective with both the new and old ball. But Wasim, for mine, was just that bit better. Coming in off a short run-up, his fast arm action caught many batsmen off guard. He could swing the ball both ways, conventionally and reverse, and could move the ball off the seam. Quite simply, he was incredibly exciting to watch and incredibly devastating to opposition batsmen, and formed a huge part of Pakistan’s greatest era of cricket throughout the late 1980’s and 1990’s. In selecting him in my All-Time XI, he not only provides the skills of swing and seam, but the variety of being a left-armer, and can stake a very strong claim for being the greatest left-arm paceman in the history of cricket. He was also incredibly successful all over the world, being effective in England, Australia, and South Africa as well as on the subcontinent, where fast bowlers traditionally struggle.

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	104	181	22627	9779	414	7/119	11/110	23.62	2.59	54.6	20	25	5
ODIs	356	351	18186	11812	502	5/15	5/15	23.52	3.89	36.2	17	6	0
First-class	257		50277	22549	1042	8/30		21.64	2.69	48.2		70	16
List A	594		29719	19303	881	5/10	5/10	21.91	3.89	33.7	34	12	0
Twenty20	5	5	114	121	8	2/19	2/19	15.12	6.36	14.2	0	0	0

9. Malcolm Marshall – West Indies 1978-1991

Malcolm Marshall – what he lacked in size he made up for in skill and smarts

There had to be a West Indian. The West Indies team throughout the 1970’s and 80’s is one of the only teams that has an extended period of dominance that could rival the Australians a couple of decades later. No small part of this success was due to the production line of incredibly talented and quick fast bowlers that these small islands produced in this time. Wes Hall paved the way during the 1960’s, and was followed by names like Roberts, Croft, Garner, Holding, Ambrose, and Walsh. But the best of them all was Malcolm Marshall. A surprisingly small man, Marshall still managed to generate the extreme pace of his counterparts and be not just quick but an incredibly clever bowler as well. When the wicket didn’t have the pace and seam in it that he wanted, Marshall was famous for running his fingers down the side of the ball to impart movement off the wicket, particularly effective in the subcontinent. But when the wickets did have the assistance, he was devastating. Quick and accurate, Marshall spearheaded the West Indies in the 1980’s and led them to continuing success. Although he won’t be taking the new ball for me, Marshall will still play a vital role as first-change, and provides balance to my attack.

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	81	151	17584	7876	376	7/22	11/89	20.94	2.68	46.7	19	22	4
ODIs	136	134	7175	4233	157	4/18	4/18	26.96	3.53	45.7	6	0	0
First-class	408		74645	31548	1651	8/71		19.10	2.53	45.2		85	13
List A	440		22332	12358	521	5/13	5/13	23.71	3.32	42.8	20	4	0

11. Dennis Lillee – Australia 1971-1984

Dennis Lillee – has there been a better fast bowler?

There may only be one man who can surpass Malcolm Marshall as the greatest fast bowler of all time. If perfection is unattainable, Dennis Lillee was as close as it gets. Coming into a strong Australian side as a tearaway fast bowler, Lillee’s pace frightened batsman out as much as anything, terrorising England in 1972 after ripping apart a World XI with 8/29 on a lightning fast WACA wicket. He was quick, raw, and could bowl good outswingers, but was struck down by spinal stress fractures in 1973. Stress fractures are the bane of a fast bowler’s existence, and so difficult to overcome that they have ended many careers. But Lillee’s comeback through an intensive physiotherapy program is famous, and he came back to become possibly the greatest of all time. Still possessing the pace, Lillee developed skills in swinging and seaming the ball, and used these skills and a terrific cricketing brain to exploit a batsman’s weaknesses. Not to mention he had one of the most magnificent actions you could ever see. For me, no great cricket team would be complete without Dennis Lillee taking the new ball and running in to the chants of “Lill-ee, Lill-ee” from a huge Australian crowd.

Bowling averages

	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10
Tests	70	132	18467	8493	355	7/83	11/123	23.92	2.75	52.0	23	23	7
ODIs	63	63	3593	2145	103	5/34	5/34	20.82	3.58	34.8	5	1	0
First-class	198		44806	20695	882	8/29		23.46	2.77	50.8		50	13
List A	102		5678	3259	165	5/34	5/34	19.75	3.44	34.4	7	1	0

Only the spinner is left! Here’s how we’re looking:

1. Jack Hobbs (England)
2. Barry Richards (South Africa)
3. Don Bradman (Australia) (c)
4. Viv Richards (West Indies)
5. Sachin Tendulkar (India)
6. Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
7. Adam Gilchrist (Australia) (wk)
8. Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
9. Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
11. Dennis Lillee (Australia)

Don’t agree with my selections? Leave a comment!