A fast-bowler doing his thing remains one of the most captivating sights on a cricket pitch despite how considerably the game has evolved over the decades.
When it comes to ODI cricket, the role of pacers has undergone a big transformation with speed alone no longer enough to cut it. Variations including slower deliveries have become crucial, particularly in the death overs.
While the importance of spinners might have increased lately in the limited-overs formats, pacers remain a key part to any captain’s plans. The fact that they bowl most of their overs in the powerplay means that it is important for any team to have good quality in their pace attacks.
There are several elite fast bowlers in ODIs currently and it hard to separate the cream from the crop. We have attempted to do so by ranking the top-eight pacers in four separate tiers.
TIER 4
Pat Cummins – Australia
While he is the No1 ranked Test bowler in the world by some distance, Pat Cummins is now starting to make an impact in the 50-over format as well. His recent displays against India, South Africa and New Zealand look like the showings of a man who is equally comfortable bowling with the red and white balls.
Cummins main asset is his accuracy, with the right-armer able to maintain consistent lines and lengths over the course of a spell. His sharp bounce from a length make him difficult to get away, and he can also move the ball both ways in addition.
A pacer who is really enjoying his cricket after a five-year injury riddled spell, Cummins is going from strength to strength with each passing series. His remarkable consistency saw Kolkata Knight Riders spend over a million dollars to acquire his services for the 2020 IPL season and the fact that he is still just 26 augurs well for Australia’s future.
Chris Woakes – England
England’s array of star players means that Chris Woakes’ excellent work often goes unnoticed. The all-rounder isn’t the fastest by any stretch, but he can be depended upon for some important wickets.
Since the turn of 2017, Woakes has claimed 71 ODI wickets for England at an average of just 26.49. His ability to move the ball away from the right-hander makes him a potent threat with the new-ball and it fetched England some crucial breakthroughs in the 2019 World Cup campaign.
A silky-smooth action and an excellent seam position means Woakes can do plenty of damage despite not bowling at express pace. The fact that he can also chip in with some handy runs with the bat make Woakes a must-have for the England ODI team. He is certainly an under-rated bowler and his performances for England in the last three years should command more respect.
TIER 3
Kagiso Rabada – South Africa
While Archer is only just bursting on to the scene at 25, Kagiso Rabada is already a veteran for South Africa at 24.
The fiery youngster has already made 75 ODI appearances for the Proteas and has managed to claim 117 wickets at an average of 27.34. The right-armer has already earned the distinction of becoming the youngest bowler to attain the No1 Test ranking, and he will have his sights on further accolades with potentially a decade of cricket still ahead of him.
Pace to burn along with some sharp seam movement make Rabada a difficult customer to handle for any batsman. He was slightly off-colour in 2019 and the drop in his form played its part in South Africa’s miserable 2019 World Cup campaign.
However, he is never one to shy away from a challenge, and will be eager to bounce back into form for the Proteas in the coming months.
Mohammed Shami – India
He might have played just 30 ODIs since the turn of 2017, but Mohammed Shami is always one of the first names on the team-sheet when it comes to a big game for India.
He was India’s leading bowler in the 2015 World Cup, where the Men in Blue came unstuck in the semi-final after an otherwise faultless campaign. His ODI prowess is shown by the fact that he has claimed 144 wickets in 77 matches an average of just 25.42.
Capable of consistently bowling at speeds of around 145kmph, Shami’s ability to generate movement with both the new and the old ball make him a tricky proponent for any batsman.
He is particularly effective with the older ball and his knack of targeting the stumps fetches him several clean-bowled dismissals.
TIER 2
Mitchell Starc – Australia
Mitchell Starc has played just the 32 ODIs for Australia since the start of 2017, yet he still retains the aura of being one of the most fearsome ODI bowlers in the world. With a career ODI bowling average of just 22.22, Starc is simply different gravy with the white ball in hand.
A big part of him playing so few matches in the last few years is Australia’s penchant of saving him for the big occasions. Starc is a man who loves to deliver when it matters most and his man-of-the-tournament award in the 2015 World Cup is testament to this trait.
His 22 wickets in that campaign led Australia to a record fifth title and his dismissal of Brendon McCullum in the very first over of the game set the tone for the hosts’ victory in the final. Even in the 2019 World Cup, Starc had his moments including a sensational yorker to clean up the well-set Ben Stokes’ stumps in the round-robin clash against England.
A man who can swing the ball at express pace, Starc is a sight no opening batsman in the world wants to see.
Jofra Archer – England
It is still early doors for Jofra Archer in international cricket, but it has been some impact from the Windies-born fast bowler already. His talents were there for all to see even before Archer made his England debut last year, with the pacer impressing in various franchise T20 leagues including the IPL.
Express pace, a mean bouncer, searing yorkers and excellent slower deliveries make Archer the complete package for limited-overs cricket. He was one of the chief protagonists of England’s World Cup triumph with his 21 wickets over the course of the campaign.
He rattled plenty of batsmen on the helmets with the bouncers, including South Africa stalwart Hashim Amla. It is not hard to figure out why the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) were so eager to fast-track Archer’s residency. He is exactly what the England limited-overs pace attack was missing over the years, and his arrival has turned them into one of the most well-rounded outfits.
It’s been only 14 ODIs so far for Archer, but he has plenty of time to achieve stardom, having just turned 25.
TIER I
Trent Boult – New Zealand
With an ability to generate movement even in the most unresponsive of pitches, Trent Boult has been a key man for the Blackcaps over the best part of a decade.
The left-armer can swing the ball both ways, although it’s his ability to bring the ball back into the right-hander that remains his calling card. With 164 ODI wickets for New Zealand at an excellent average of 25.29, Boult is one of the most complete fast bowlers in the business.
Since the turn of 2017, no pacer has picked up more wickets than Boult who has claimed 91 scalps in the period. He is at his most potent with the new ball in hand, though he is equally effective in the death overs with his clever off-cutters and yorkers.
His 17 wickets in the tournament aided New Zealand’s remarkable run to the final of the 2019 World Cup and he was unfortunate to come away with a runners-up medal in the end.
Jasprit Bumrah – India
After Boult, it is Jasprit Bumrah who has been the most prolific pacer since 2017, with 87 wickets at an average of 26.34. More crucially, it is Bumrah’s miserly economy-rate that makes him stand out from the rest of the pack.
With a career ODI economy-rate of just 4.55, Bumrah is by miles the most economical fast bowler in the business currently. A big reason for this is his ability to bowl pinpoint yorkers in the death overs, along with him cleverly disguised slower deliveries. His slingy and unorthodox bowling action only makes it harder for batsmen to pick him up.
Having honed his skills under Lasith Malinga with Mumbai Indians in the IPL, Bumrah is now making a name for himself in the Test arena as well. However, it is with the white-ball where he is most lethal and he can always be relied upon for throwing down 10 quiet overs. He has only just returned from a stress injury, and India will be hoping that he can quickly rediscover that old rhythm that made him the best in the world.
