Pace and Hype

[express bowling]

i am sure Jeff , Holding and Andy were fast, but the rest were just gas

Exactly.

I think Thomson bowled express for around 2 years.  145 k to 160 k range around 1975 and 1976..  Then slowed down.

Holding was very quick for around 3 years too .  Must have bowled 145 k to 150 k spells in the mid to late '70s.

Same with Roberts.

The rest were nothing special in terms of speed.

Edited January 9, 2016 by express bowling

[Singh bling]

the competition ment they had to just come out and bowl fast some 4 deliveries each, just bowl fast, and they blaze to 138-147..if the current guys are asked to do this i am sure some will pop a 156+.

Shoaib Akhtar mentioned that his speed in nets is 101 mph ,not much difference from 100 which he clocked,also it goes the other way , sometime when you are pumped up you may hit extreme speed which you cannot hit in practice

[Rightarmfast]

I heard one of Shoaib's interview around early 2000's and he said when he was bowling tennis ball, nobody could see the deliveries. I believe Akhtar to be the fastest that ever was. Thomson would be similar but not for the duration that Akhtar maintained the pace.

After checking the speeds, I wonder if it is actually right to label India as a country which produces only trundlers. I mean Imran was fast medium at best. But we have had bowlers of that speed earlier like Ankola, Wassan ( who definitely was much quicker ) etc. Srinath was even officially clocked above 90mph several times. 

[Singh bling]

And what was Kapil Dev's speed as people here downgraded speed of many quicks here . He was from same era and never was considered as fast so he must be 125 kph bowler, Like Praveen Kumar

Edited January 9, 2016 by Singh bling

[Singh bling]

I heard one of Shoaib's interview around early 2000's and he said when he was bowling tennis ball, nobody could see the deliveries. I believe Akhtar to be the fastest that ever was. Thomson would be similar but not for the duration that Akhtar maintained the pace.

After checking the speeds, I wonder if it is actually right to label India as a country which produces only trundlers. I mean Imran was fast medium at best. But we have had bowlers of that speed earlier like Ankola, Wassan ( who definitely was much quicker ) etc. Srinath was even officially clocked above 90mph several times. 

Imran was 3rd fastest in 1979 , His average speed was greater than Holding , if he was fast medium then Holding too was fast medium

[Vilander]

I heard one of Shoaib's interview around early 2000's and he said when he was bowling tennis ball, nobody could see the deliveries. I believe Akhtar to be the fastest that ever was. Thomson would be similar but not for the duration that Akhtar maintained the pace.

After checking the speeds, I wonder if it is actually right to label India as a country which produces only trundlers. I mean Imran was fast medium at best. But we have had bowlers of that speed earlier like Ankola, Wassan ( who definitely was much quicker ) etc. Srinath was even officially clocked above 90mph several times. 

In all honesty Akthar was fast like Lee and Wild thing Tait but was not far better than them. I still suspect his 160+ in SA world cup to be an error, he was not consistantly 150+ in that series otherwise.  But when Bret lee tait used to do it they hit 150 + consistantly over the whole spell, bit like what Wahab did in that one game. He is prone to self aggrandizing like many pakistani people. 

[Trichromatic]

In all honesty Akthar was fast like Lee and Wild thing Tait but was not far better than them. I still suspect his 160+ in SA world cup to be an error, he was not consistantly 150+ in that series otherwise.  But when Bret lee tait used to do it they hit 150 + consistantly over the whole spell, bit like what Wahab did in that one game. He is prone to self aggrandizing like many pakistani people. 

I had seen Shoaib bowling overs with avg speed of 155 in that WC. 

[MechEng]

Akhtar was a super human even without steroids, Lee, Waqar, Donald, Holding and Thompson were lightning fast but still nowhere as crazy as Akhtar. You must watch his bowling from 1998-2002 to get my point.

It is safe to say that Akhtar at his prime fitness can be the only cricket player in the world who will easily make it to some heavy duty American sports like ice hockey or rugby.  

[Trichromatic]

Akhtar was not only fast but also a very good bowler. I don't think i have seem him bowling wayward much in international cricket either.

[rkt.india]

In all honesty Akthar was fast like Lee and Wild thing Tait but was not far better than them. I still suspect his 160+ in SA world cup to be an error, he was not consistantly 150+ in that series otherwise.  But when Bret lee tait used to do it they hit 150 + consistantly over the whole spell, bit like what Wahab did in that one game. He is prone to self aggrandizing like many pakistani people. 

You watched 2006 India-Pak test series in Pak. Akhtar was at his fastest in that series. He was clicking 157-158 easily. I have never seen Brett Lee bowling that quick ever in test matches.

[express bowling]

Akhtar was a super human even without steroids, Lee, Waqar, Donald, Holding and Thompson were lightning fast but still nowhere as crazy as Akhtar. You must watch his bowling from 1998-2002 to get my point.

 

Akhtar, Lee and Thomson were much quicker than either Donald or Waqar.

 

Edited January 10, 2016 by express bowling

[Singh bling]

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/95065.htm

The following list is provided thanks to the efforts of Eddie Smith, who has been tabulating bowling speeds reported in the media and by his own direct observation over the last few years.

Arbitrarily we regard bowlers reaching 140kph as qualified fast men. Bowlers with the ability to deliver balls above 145kph are considered genuine speedsters. 150kph is regarded as the benchmark for express pace bowlers.

For a list of other reported speeds in past literature, news reports, domestic cricket, women's cricket and historical scientific studies, click here.

• Notes:
  • This list is not a comprehensive database of all such deliveries to have been timed at 140kph or faster. Nor is it official in any capacity. It simply shows which bowlers have broken this barrier on known occasions in international matches. If you are able to supply any substantiable information on deliveries not listed below, please contact Eddie so we can endeavour to make it more complete.
  • Speed measuring devices have only become commonplace at international cricket matches since around 1998. There are few instances where speeds are known authoritatively prior to this.
  • Some speed measuring devices display speeds to the nearest kilometre per hour. These figures appear below with no appended decimal fraction.
  • Some speed measuring devices record in miles per hour. These figures have been converted to kilometres per hour and rounded to the nearest kph.

  Enter a speed in either of the two boxes below and click 'Convert' or press 'enter' to perform an automatic conversion to the other form of measurement. Results are displayed to one decimal place. 1 mph = 1.60934 kph.

   

  Speed Converter:    mph    kph

   

  Player	Team	Kph	Against	Date
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	161	v New Zealand	27/04/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	160	v New Zealand	27/04/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	159.9	v New Zealand	21/04/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	159.5	v Sri Lanka	12/04/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	159.0	v Sri Lanka	17/04/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	158.4	v Sri Lanka	17/04/2002
  Brett Lee	Australia	157.4	v South Africa	08/03/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	157.4	v Sri Lanka	12/04/2002
  Brett Lee	Australia	157.3	v South Africa	08/03/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	157.2	v Australia	09/06/2001
  Brett Lee	Australia	156.2	v South Africa	Mar 2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	156	v South Africa	29/03/2000
  Brett Lee	Australia	156	v South Africa	Apr 2000
  Brett Lee	Australia	156	v South Africa	Apr 2000
  Brett Lee	Australia	154.8	v Pakistan	23/01/2000
  Brett Lee	Australia	154.6	v New Zealand	11/01/2002
  Shoaib Akhtar	Pakistan	154.5	unknown	1999 season
  Brett Lee	Australia	154.5	v New Zealand	01/12/2001
  Nantie Hayward	South Africa	154.4	v India	03/11/2001
  Nantie Hayward	South Africa	154.3	v Australia	28/12/2001
  Jason Gillespie	Australia	153.9	v South Africa	06/04/2002
  Waqar Younis	Pakistan	153	v South Africa	Jul 1993
  Allan Donald	South Africa	152.9	v England	26/07/1998
  Waqar Younis	Pakistan	152.6	v England	1996 season
  Brett Lee	Australia	152.4	v England	Aug 2001
  Makhaya Ntini	South Africa	151.4	v Australia	22/02/2002
  Shane Bond	New Zealand	151.2	v Australia	26/01/2002
  Jason Gillespie	Australia	151.0	v South Africa	03/04/2002
  Darren Gough	England	151	v Australia	13/02/1999
  Nantie Hayward	South Africa	151	v England	10/12/1999
  Brett Lee	Australia	150.0	unknown	2000/01 season
  Darren Gough	England	149.8	v Zimbabwe	May 2000
  Jason Gillespie	Australia	149.7	v New Zealand	30/11/2000
  Makhaya Ntini	South Africa	149.7	v New Zealand	01/02/2002
  Javagal Srinath	India	149.6	v Australia	1997/98 season
  Javagal Srinath	India	149.6	unknown	Jun 1999
  Chris Silverwood	England	149.6	v South Africa	09/12/1999
  Jason Gillespie	Australia	149.1	v India	20/03/2001
  Darren Gough	South Africa	149	v India	in 1998
  Allan Donald	England	149	v Australia	05/01/1999
  Jason Gillespie	Australia	148.9	v South Africa	22/01/2002
  Mohammad Sami	Pakistan	148.8	v New Zealand	12/04/2001
  Jason Gillespie	Australia	148.7	v West Indies	Dec 2000
  Mohammad Sami	Pakistan	148.5	v New Zealand	15/04/2001
  Roger Telemachus	South Africa	148.3	v England	11/10/2000
  Mfuneko Ngam	South Africa	148.3	v Sri Lanka	Dec 2000
  Shane Bond	New Zealand	148.2	v Australia	17/01/2002
  Jacques Kallis	South Africa	147.6	v Sri Lanka	2000/01 season
  Shane Bond	New Zealand	147.6	v Australia	11/01/2002
  Mfuneko Ngam	South Africa	147.5	v New Zealand	Dec 2000
  Dilhara Fernando	Sri Lanka	147.5	v New Zealand	20/07/2001
  Mohammad Sami	Pakistan	147.4	v Sri Lanka	08/04/2001
  Waqar Younis	Pakistan	147.4	v England	17/06/2001
  Abdur Razzaq	Pakistan	147.2	v England	19/05/2001
  Makhaya Ntini	South Africa	147.2	v Australia	03/02/2002
  Makhaya Ntini	South Africa	147.1	v New Zealand	27/01/2002
  Dean Headley	England	147	v Australia	05/01/1999
  Makhaya Ntini	South Africa	147	v Sri Lanka	2000/01 season
  Dilhara Fernando	Sri Lanka	147	v South Africa	26/12/2000
  Geoff Allott	New Zealand	146.5	unknown	1999 season
  Chris Silverwood	England	146.5	v South Africa	10/12/1999
  Jacques Kallis	South Africa	146.4	unknown	Jun 1999
  Chris Cairns	New Zealand	146.4	v England	20/08/1999
  Franklyn Rose	West Indies	146.4	v England	26/06/2000
  Darren Gough	England	146.3	v Australia	10/06/2001
  Shane Bond	New Zealand	146.2	v Australia	01/12/2001
  Andrew Flintoff	England	146.1	v India	20/12/2001
  Ajit Agarkar	India	145.4	v Zimbabwe	13/03/2002
  Zaheer Khan	India	145.0	v Zimbabwe	21/02/2002
  Wasim Akram	Pakistan	145	v South Africa	1992/93 season
  Glenn McGrath	Australia	145	v Pakistan	20/07/1999
  Dean Headley	England	145	v New Zealand	23/07/1999
  Craig White	England	145	v West Indies	04/08/2000
  Colin Stuart	West Indies	145	v Zimbabwe	22/07/2001
  Jacques Kallis	South Africa	144.5	v Australia	Apr 2002
  Steve Elworthy	South Africa	144.4	v Australia	20/01/2002
  Colin Stuart	West Indies	144.1	v Australia	03/01/2001
  Damien Fleming	Australia	144	unknown	Dec 1999
  Marlon Black	West Indies	144	v India	19/04/2002
  Zaheer Khan	India	143.8	unknown	Oct 2000
  Nixon McLean	West Indies	143.8	v Australia	14/01/2001
  Andy Bichel	Australia	143.7	v West Indies	09/01/2001
  Ajit Agarkar	India	143.7	v Zimbabwe	Jun 2001
  Glenn McGrath	Australia	143.7	v South Africa	03/02/2002
  Craig White	England	143.6	v West Indies	02/09/2000
  Steve Elworthy	South Africa	143.3	v New Zealand	19/01/2002
  Andy Bichel	Australia	143.3	v South Africa	03/02/2002
  Reon King	West Indies	143.2	v England	15/07/2000
  Mohammad Zahid	Pakistan	143	unknown	in 1998
  Shaun Pollock	South Africa	143	v England	09/12/1999
  Prabath Nissanka	Sri Lanka	143	v Pakistan	Oct 2001
  Glenn McGrath	Australia	142.9	v New Zealand	26/01/2002
  Shane Watson	Australia	142.9	v South Africa	Apr 2002
  Roger Telemachus	South Africa	142.7	v Australia	Jul 2000
  Andy Caddick	England	142.6	v Australia	21/06/2001
  Brad Williams	Australia	142.6	v New Zealand	11/01/2002
  Glenn McGrath	Australia	142.3	v Zimbabwe	04/02/2001
  Andre Adams	New Zealand	142.2	v Australia	29/01/2002
  Allan Donald	South Africa	142.2	v New Zealand	01/02/2002
  Dewald Pretorius	South Africa	142.2	v Australia	08/03/2002
  James Ormond	England	142.1	v Australia	23/08/2001
  Damien Fleming	Australia	142.1	v West Indies	09/11/2001
  Marlon Black	West Indies	142	v Australia	24/11/1999
  Shane Lee	Australia	142	v South Africa	16/04/2000
  Zaheer Khan	India	142	v Australia	11/03/2001
  Marlon Black	West Indies	142	v Zimbabwe	29/07/2001
  Glenn McGrath	Australia	141.6	v India	1997/98 season
  Dominic Cork	England	141.6	v Sri Lanka	31/08/1998
  Alex Tudor	England	141.6	v Australia	1998/99 season
  Dion Nash	New Zealand	141.6	v England	05/08/1999
  Dion Nash	New Zealand	141.6	v Australia	29/01/2002
  Chris Martin	New Zealand	141.4	v Australia	01/12/2001
  Adam Sanford	West Indies	141.0	v India	13/04/2002
  Mervyn Dillon	West Indies	141.0	v India	13/04/2002
  Jacques Kallis	South Africa	141	v Sri Lanka	04/01/2001
  Ashish Nehra	India	141	v West Indies	21/04/2002
  Curtly Ambrose	West Indies	140	v Pakistan	1992/93 season
  Abdur Razzaq	Pakistan	140	unknown	in 1998
  Mervyn Dillon	West Indies	140	v India	28/10/1998
  Courtney Walsh	West Indies	140	v England	08/08/2000
  Curtly Ambrose	West Indies	140	v England	08/08/2000
  Andy Blignaut	Zimbabwe	140	v West Indies	28/07/2001
  Travis Friend	Zimbabwe	140	v England	29/09/2001
  Heatlh Streak	Zimbabwe	140	v England	02/10/2001

[Singh bling]

The above speeds are reported in media upto 2002

[express bowling]

deleted

Edited January 10, 2016 by express bowling

[Rightarmfast]

And what was Kapil Dev's speed as people here downgraded speed of many quicks here . He was from same era and never was considered as fast so he must be 125 kph bowler, Like Praveen Kumar

I am sure he was.. Your point being?

[Rightarmfast]

Imran was 3rd fastest in 1979 , His average speed was greater than Holding , if he was fast medium then Holding too was fast medium

But unlike Holding, Imran was never clocked in the 150's as Holding was, in the earlier speed tests. If you think an average speed of 138 is express pace, then yes, Imran Khan was express

[Singh bling]

But unlike Holding, Imran was never clocked in the 150's as Holding was, in the earlier speed tests. If you think an average speed of 138 is express pace, then yes, Imran Khan was express

The speed in 1979 competition were jokes  , even 147 is not something which we expect from ultra fast bowler. 22 year Holding was measured clocking 148.5 in 1975, and 153 in 1976.

1975 measurement was with high speed accurate camera's while 1976 was with conventional radar

On that one day in Perth, Jeff Thomson had recorded release speeds on 200/400 frames per second photosonic cameras of 159.49kph and 160.45kph (99.7mph), less than 0.3mph short of the magical 100mph mark. In fact, two men considered in the 'Fastest Ever' category, Michael Holding (148.54kph) and Andy Roberts (150.67kph) were both 10kph slower than Thomson on that day and an unwell Dennis Lillee (139.03kph) was 20kph slower. As an interesting side point, Jeff Thomson was also recorded by conventional radar the following year at 160.58kph to win a 'fastest bowler' competition.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/120260.html

The question is why Holding was unable to hit 150 kph in 1979 , I think there was something more in that , may be readings were 7-10 kph slower in 1979 competition 

Edited January 10, 2016 by Singh bling

[Rightarmfast]

You don't keep a ' Fastest Bowler Competition ' with a faulty speed gun! That is as absurd as it gets. I know its hard for you to digest that Imran was no more than a fast medium bowler. But thats all he was. And hey, look at this video. Listen to what Imran says. He says he was at his fastest from 1979-1982. And guess when was the speed competition done? 79!!! So that effectively was as fast as Imran could bowl at, 139!

 

Edited January 10, 2016 by Rightarmfast

[Singh bling]

You don't keep a ' Fastest Bowler Competition ' with a faulty speed gun! That is as absurd as it gets. I know its hard for you to digest that Imran was no more than a fast medium bowler. But thats all he was. And hey, look at this video. Listen to what Imran says. He says he was at his fastest from 1979-1982. And guess when was the speed competition done? 79!!! So that effectively was as fast as Imran could bowl at, 139!

 

Not saying faulty speed gun , but may be they measured distance slightly longer than they did in 1975.O/W please tell me how Holding was averaging barely 135 with fastest 141. People here are saying that today's bowlers will hit 156 in those condition. By that Logic Holding's average speed in test must be 132-133  as he was putting extra effort and with that he averaged 135, this put him in category of Vinay Kumar and not even with Zaheer or Shami.

 

Btw do you think if we time travel Vinay Kumar of 2010-2011 to 1979 , he could had emerged as winner  or second, after all everybody has seen few of his deliveries around 144

[Rightarmfast]

Had they done it any differentyl, I bet they would have mentioned it. And I bet, if these speeds were slower, if nobody, Jeff Thomson would have spoken about it. 

I havent seen vinay kumar bowling at 144, and I have made no claims about Vinay. So what he could have done then, is beyond me.