It is true that during the past 30 years there have been some real pace bowling greats. But I also think it’s UNFAIR TO SAY that there are currently not as many fast bowlers with the same quality. There have been some exceptional fast bowlers in recent years and there is also a very fine crop of youngsters emerging right now.
It’s occasionally said that the world’s fast bowling re-sources are not quite what they were back in the 1980s and 1990s, a time when the West Indians dominated with their terrifying pace quartets and then there were the great all-rounders Sir Ian Botham, Sir Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan and Kapil Dev. The next decade saw the emergence of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, geniuses of swing, both traditional and reverse. And, of course, the ever-reliable Glenn McGrath plugging away for Australia with his immaculate line and length and subtle skills.
IT IS TRUE THAT DURING the past 30 years there have been some real pace bowling greats. But I also think it’s unfair to say that there are currently not as many fast bowlers with the same quality. There have been some exceptional fast bowlers in recent years and there is also a very fine crop of youngsters emerging right now. Several countries have really bright prospects developing and that is exciting for world cricket.
If you look in India, for example, there is a good group of talented fast bowlers emerging to join the older faces and that is giving India a new depth of talent. You have the likes of Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra who have been around for a while and then exciting bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami. All are really good performers who if managed well could have great careers.
This story is from the February 25, 2017 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the February 25, 2017 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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