Starc Clocks 160.4km/h or 99.6m

[Rightarmfast]

Long jump record is still standing after 24 years....

 

 

I used to represent Karnataka in Boxing till 3 yrs ago. The style of boxing has changed so much in years. If Ali and Tyson were to fight today, they would have to do immense modifications to their fighting style. Bruce Lee, who genuinely was one of the best martial artists ever, his fighting style and knowledge would be amateurish when compared to MMA fighters today. 

Sports evolve and if you have to keep up, you have to evolve!

What was fast for yesterday, could be just medium fast for today. 

Shoaib's case is different. ( I do not want to start a controversy, its my personal opinion that if you look at Shoaib's built and structure, to me it looks like he was on steroid and performance enhancing drugs )

[Singh bling]

I used to represent Karnataka in Boxing till 3 yrs ago. The style of boxing has changed so much in years. If Ali and Tyson were to fight today, they would have to do immense modifications to their fighting style. Bruce Lee, who genuinely was one of the best martial artists ever, his fighting style and knowledge would be amateurish when compared to MMA fighters today. 

Sports evolve and if you have to keep up, you have to evolve!

What was fast for yesterday, could be just medium fast for today. 

Shoaib's case is different. ( I do not want to start a controversy, its my personal opinion that if you look at Shoaib's built and structure, to me it looks like he was on steroid and performance enhancing drugs )

Its already 12 years when Brett Lee and Akhtar bowled 160.-161. We are still standing their . By your logic the max  speed should have been now 165 kmph , Is this happening? 

Akhtar and Lee are also yesterday

[Shivaji bhonsle]

Shoaib s a chucker. Not sure if you can consider his records as genuine one.

[MechEng]

Starc and Johnson are 137 k to 150 k bowlers generally...150 K + deliveries are not that common.

We are not really discussing occasional 150 K + deliveries here but  the general speed range of a pacer in his faster days. Like Ishant has clocked 152 K but I would consider his general faster spells to be 135 k to 145 k.

It is quite possible that Donald and Waqar have bowled some 150 K + deliveries in their fastest spells. But that was not their general pace range during their faster years.

Thompson was a freak of nature and much faster than his contemporaries. He had an action like a Javelin throw and it is quite possible that he too had bowled quite a few 150 k + deliveries in his best years.

But I find it hard to believe that the other quicker  pacers from the '70s and '80s were as quick as the faster pacers after 1995. This is based on the facts I have discussed in the above posts like superior training after 1995 pertaining to strength, stamina, speed, flexibility etc. along with much better food supplements, energy drinks, etc. These factors have also produced significantly  better athletes, bodybuilders etc. after 1995. Like Rkt said...Athletes today can cover 100 meters in less than 9.7 seconds. Could they do that in 70s-80s.

Fast bowling fear back then was more psychological than a technical one. I remember some West Indian first class player called Holding a medium pacer at the beginning, it was after losing 5-0 to Australia in 1975 he began to work on his speed and the terror he unleashed on England in 1976 established his life long reputation as express pace bowler. So even if Holding actually bowled a ball at 82 mph, it would look like 90 mph to the batsman because of the reputation he had.

[express bowling]

 

 

,if 140 was considered such a deadly then all bowlers of that era from England , Australia , and West Indies should have been considered as fearsome , but very few achieved  the title of fearsome, 

 

Shoaib Akhtar was as trained an athlete as any other. Pakistan has been really keen on developing fast bowlers from the mid-'80s and have provided all modern facilities, supplements, trainers etc.to their pacers. 

Another issue is...training methods, supplements etc. have evolved at a much slower pace between 2000 and 2015 than between 1975 and 2000.

Apart from all other factors, Shoaib's arm had an unique feature called hyper-extension...it could bend at an obtuse angle at the elbow and this " defect " helped him generate a lot of pace.

As I said before, it is always possible to have freaks of nature and hence one or two much quicker bowlers ( or other athletes ) in any era. BUT...look at the pace range of average quicker pacers of today. Australia must have at least 8 pacers in recent times who can bowl either the 135 to 145 k range or 140 to 150 k range...like Starc, Johnson, Cummins, Harris, Pattinson, Abbot, Coulter-Nile, Bollinger etc. That was never the case in any previous era. India have at least 5 such bowlers now including Nathu Singh. In our entire cricket history before the current era we will only find a handful of such quicks.

Edited November 18, 2015 by express bowling

[express bowling]

Fast bowling fear back then was more psychological than a technical one. I remember some West Indian first class player called Holding a medium pacer at the beginning, it was after losing 5-0 to Australia in 1975 he began to work on his speed and the terror he unleashed on England in 1976 established his life long reputation as express pace bowler. So even if Holding actually bowled a ball at 82 mph, it would look like 90 mph to the batsman because of the reputation he had.

My impression is that Holding bowled some 135 to 145 k spells too ( he bowled a fastest of 141 k in the 1979 competition ) but  he was one of the quickest of that era apart from Thompson. What his average pace was, day in and day out, we will never know...but, like you said...whatever it was, it would be perceived as more because of the reputation he had developed. 

Edited November 18, 2015 by express bowling

[express bowling]

I used to represent Karnataka in Boxing till 3 yrs ago. The style of boxing has changed so much in years. If Ali and Tyson were to fight today, they would have to do immense modifications to their fighting style. Bruce Lee, who genuinely was one of the best martial artists ever, his fighting style and knowledge would be amateurish when compared to MMA fighters today. 

Sports evolve and if you have to keep up, you have to evolve!

What was fast for yesterday, could be just medium fast for today. 

Very very important and true points that many people tend to miss.

[rkt.india]

That Shoain 161K delivery bowled in WC 2003 too didnt look like that quick. 

[moniker]

Shoaib s a chucker. Not sure if you can consider his records as genuine one.

He has used performance-enhancing drugs and ball-tampered, but he didn't chuck. He has a hyperextending elbow.

[rkt.india]

I have seen Brett Lee and Shaun Tait bowling at 160KPH multiple times, not see that from Shoaib, 157-158 quite a few times.

Check this out

 

 

[Shivaji bhonsle]

He has used performance-enhancing drugs and ball-tampered, but he didn't chuck. He has a hyperextending elbow.

Even Rp Singh had hyperextending elbow . But Shoaib was a chucker. He would suddenly start chucking suddenly and increased his pace. Indian team accused him of chucking many times during 2005 tour to Pakistan.

[rkt.india]

 

Even Rp Singh had hyperextending elbow . But Shoaib was a chucker. He would suddenly start chucking suddenly and increased his pace. Indian team accused him of chucking many times during 2005 tour to Pakistan.

that is because hyperextension alone doesnt make you quick. RP Singh did utilize his hyperextension advantage. Also, that hyperextension gives you an illusion of chucking. 

[bulbul]

Athletes improve is certain,but sports completely evolved is difficut to belive,majority of bowlers around world are still trundling.

[rkt.india]

Athletes improve is certain,but sports completely evolved is difficut to belive,majority of bowlers around world are still trundling.

athletes improve, but not everyone will start doing 100 meter dash in 9.7 second, same way, not every bowler will start bowling genuine fast. Even in our country, we have now lot of bowlers who can bowl at about 140K, at times if not regularly. We never had so many bowlers before.

Edited November 18, 2015 by rkt.india

[Singh bling]

athletes improve, but not everyone will start doing 100 meter dash in 9.7 second, same way, not every bowler will start bowling genuine fast. Even in our country, we have now lot of bowlers who can bowl at about 140K, at times if not regularly. We never had so many bowlers before.

1) Sprinting and cricket are not comparable , almost every child who is healthy in this world run and races are organised from the age of 5-6 at school level.Where as cricket is played by handful of nations and in many nations it is declined .Current generation of West indies bowlers are shorter and slower.A sport only improve if more and more people participate 

2) In India cricket from 90s spread in many small towns and villages so it is natural that many fast bowlers emerge as now we have more diversity 

[rkt.india]

1) Sprinting and cricket are not comparable , almost every child who is healthy in this world run and races are organised from the age of 5-6 at school level.Where as cricket is played by handful of nations and in many nations it is declined .Current generation of West indies bowlers are shorter and slower.A sport only improve if more and more people participate 

2) In India cricket from 90s spread in many small towns and villages so it is natural that many fast bowlers emerge as now we have more diversity 

WI bowlers are not slower by any means. Fidel Edwards, Jermaine Lawson, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jerome Taylor, Tino Best are as quick as any WI has ever produced. Both Lawson and Gabriel are tall. Look at the WI captain, Jason Holder. He is as tall as any they produced.

[express bowling]

If the pacers of the '70s were as quick as today and bowling to batsmen  of lesser fitness and without helmets and visors with no limitations on the number of bouncers per over... then there would have been far more hospitalization cases and some fatal injuries too. Just look at the frequency with which fast bowlers hit batsmen on the helmet and visor nowadays. 

Edited November 18, 2015 by express bowling

[Rightarmfast]

1) Sprinting and cricket are not comparable , almost every child who is healthy in this world run and races are organised from the age of 5-6 at school level.Where as cricket is played by handful of nations and in many nations it is declined .Current generation of West indies bowlers are shorter and slower.A sport only improve if more and more people participate 

2) In India cricket from 90s spread in many small towns and villages so it is natural that many fast bowlers emerge as now we have more diversity 

More fast bowlers emerge now, not because cricket has been made known in smaller villagers. Cricket has been immensely popular even when there were no televisions in 60's and when Indian team used to be minnows. 

There are more fast bowlers now because now they are directly able to see the speeds at which bowlers operate. And now they have a benchmark of 140-145k. They now have internet and youtube to study the bowling actions of fast bowlers. They now have gyms across villages and small towns where they can go and train. They have local coaches, who though can't speak english and can't apply for jobs anywhere else, can still coach and earn a humble 5000-8000 a month through cricket coaching. They now know, that if they can hit that magical no of 140, even if they are not quality, they can still dream of IPL and earn huge money!

This hasnt happened overnight!

[Singh bling]

WI bowlers are not slower by any means. Fidel Edwards, Jermaine Lawson, Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jerome Taylor, Tino Best are as quick as any WI has ever produced. Both Lawson and Gabriel are tall. Look at the WI captain, Jason Holder. He is as tall as any they produced.

Majority of fast bowlers here you mentioned are out of cricket or retired or on the last leg , There is hardly any new fast bowler which I have seen bowling at extremely quick pace and Jason Holder is the only 1 while in 80s Walsh, Ambrose , Patterson ,Bishop were around 6 feet 6 inches or taller

[Singh bling]

More fast bowlers emerge now, not because cricket has been made known in smaller villagers. Cricket has been immensely popular even when there were no televisions in 60's and when Indian team used to be minnows. 

There are more fast bowlers now because now they are directly able to see the speeds at which bowlers operate. And now they have a benchmark of 140-145k. They now have internet and youtube to study the bowling actions of fast bowlers. They now have gyms across villages and small towns where they can go and train. They have local coaches, who though can't speak english and can't apply for jobs anywhere else, can still coach and earn a humble 5000-8000 a month through cricket coaching. They now know, that if they can hit that magical no of 140, even if they are not quality, they can still dream of IPL and earn huge money!

This hasnt happened overnight!

Several times it was mentioned that Dhoni's success is different because it opened the gate of small town dreams .No doubt people in India were playing cricket but because successful players belonging to Mumbai or bigger cities , small towners or villagers never thought that they could be in Indian team or become professional cricketer

MS Dhoni inspired small town India to dream big

http://www.hindustantimes.com/cricket/ms-dhoni-inspired-small-town-india-to-dream-big/story-a0xoROeC2z3ofD7jtJrFHL.html

India's first cricket captain CK Nayudu was the son of a Rai Bahadur. After him came Sir Vijay Ananda Gajapathi Raju, a Maharajkumar of Vizianagram. Their successors Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi were from royal families. India's most successful Test captain overseas Saurav Ganguly was popularly known as Maharaja, befitting his privileged life.

We still have lot of potential as no North eastern player play for team , the day we have some hero from them we may see flood of north eastern cricketers