The fastest ball in cricket history was bowled at a speed of 161.3 km/h. Fast bowling is a great art, and no matter how great a batter you are, when you face a ball of over 150 km/h, the time to react is always minimal. That’s why bowling fast is one of the exciting skills in cricket. Over the year, there have been many bowlers who have clocked over 150 km/h in the history and bowled it consistently.
But when it comes to bowling really fast, only five bowlers have achieved or bowled a delivery at a speed of over 160 km/h in cricket history. A bowler with the ability to bowl first always puts pressure on the batter and brings fear to the mind. And this article will feature the fastest bowlers that the game has ever seen. We will discuss here about the top ten fastest deliveries ever recorded in the history of cricket.
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Top 10 Fastest Ball in Cricket History List
| No. | Bowler | Speed Touched | Team | Vs | Year |
| 1 | Shoaib Akhtar | 161.2 km/h (100.2 mph) | Pakistan | England | 2003 |
| 2 | Shaun Tait | 161.1 km/h (100.1 mph) | Australia | England | 2010 |
| 3 | Brett Lee | 161.1 km/h (100.1 mph) | Australia | New Zealand | 2005 |
| 4 | Jeffrey Thomson | 160.6 km/h (99.8 mph) | Australia | West Indies | 1975 |
| 5 | Mitchell Starc | 160.4 km/h (99.7 mph) | Australia | New Zealand | 2015 |
| 6 | Andy Roberts | 159.5 km/h (99.1 mph) | West Indies | Australia | 1975 |
| 7 | Fidel Edwards | 157.7 km/h (97.9 mph) | West Indies | South Africa | 2003 |
| 8 | Mitchell Johnson | 156.8 km/h (97.4 mph) | Australia | England | 2013 |
| 9 | Mohammad Sami | 156.4 km/h (97.1 mph) | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | 2003 |
| 10 | Shane Bond | 156.4 km/h (97.1 mph) | New Zealand | India | 2003 |
10. Shane Bond – 156.4 km/h
Former Kiwi pacer Shane Bond was lighting quick. He had an incredible international career, but it was cut short due to injury. But whatever amount of cricket he played; he was very fast. He recorded one of the fastest balls in cricket. He clocked the speed of 156.4 km/h against India in Centurion during the 2003 ODI World Cup. That ball has featured him on this list.
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9. Mohammad Sami – 156.4 km/h
Pakistan had a history of producing some of the fastest bowlers of all time, and Mohammad Sami was from the same breed. The right-arm pacer has bowled many quick balls in his career, and he even claimed to touch a speed of 164 km/h. But there is no official report about it. However, his fastest ball in cricket was against Zimbabwe during an ODI match in 2023 at a speed of 156.4 km/h.
8. Mitchell Johnson – 156.8 km/h
Mitchell Johnson at his peak was a nightmare for the batters. Though he could only play 7-8 years of international cricket because of injury, he made his name for himself by bowling quick with the swing. The memory of him destroying England during the 2013 Ashes is still fresh in the minds of some English batters. During that series, Johnson touched the speed of 156.8 km/h in a test at MCG.
7. Fidel Edwards – 157.7 km/h
West Indies have also given many fierce bowlers to this game, and Fidel Edwards also made the name for himself by carrying that legacy forward. Edwards bowled some of the quickest spells in his career, and his fastest ball in cricket was in a Test match in 2003 against South Africa. He bowled at a speed of 157.7 km/h to make on this list.
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6. Andy Roberts – 159.9 km/h
West Indies were unbeatable in the 1970s and 1980s, and they also won the first two editions of the ODI World Cups in 1975 and 1979 during that period. The main reason was their team of superstars, and Andy Roberts was the vital cog of that side. The fierce pacer was known for putting the batters under pressure with his speed and height. He was 6 feet 2 inches tall, and you can imagine a ball coming at you over 155 km/h from a height of almost 8 feet. That’s the impact he had. He bowled his fastest ball in cricket against Australia in a test at Perth in 1975 at 159.9 km/h.
5. Jeff Thompson – 160.4 km/h
Fans who have followed cricket closely must know who Jeff Thompson was and what he did with his slingy action. According to cricketer experts and legends, Thompson loved to see the opposition batter in pain, and he always went for the head. He bowled with a short run-up but bowled very fast. He was influenced by his former competitive javelin, and his action was very similar. Thompson bowled many fast deliveries, but there were not many good speed-metering equipment at that him. His fastest ball which was recorded was at 160.4 km/h, which he bowled against West Indies in Perth in 1975.
4. Mitchell Starc – 160.4 km/h
Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is currently the fastest ball in modern-day cricket. He is very dangerous when he is at his best, which Australia saw during the 2015 ODI World Cup, when he finished with most wickets and helped them win the ICC title. Starc has bowled very fast over the years and is still going strong. His fastest ball in cricket was against New Zealand at WACA Perth in 2015 at a speed of 160.4 km/h.
3. Shaun Tait – 161.1 km/h
Only three pacers have touched a speed of 100 m/h in cricket history. The third bowler to do so was Shaun Tait, who made his name for his speed. He had a very successful start to his career, and he was the second-highest wicket-taker in the 2007 World Cup, which they won. Tait generated speed because of his action and shoulders. His fastest ball in cricket was against England in 2010, when he clocked 161.1 km/h.
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2. Brett Lee – 161.1 km/h
Bowlers with great speed often lose the line and length, but Brett Lee mastered all these arts. He was one of the best pacers to play the game and was Australia’s main weapon, which made them unbeatable in the cricket world. Lee bowled many deliveries over 155 km/h, and his fastest was at 161.1 km/h when he touched the ball at a speed of 100 km/h in Napier against New Zealand in 2005.
1. Shoaib Akhtar – 161.2 km/h
Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar was the fastest bowler in cricket history and bowled the fastest ball in cricket. He earned the name “Rawalpindi Express” for bowling and generating good speed. He used to have a very lengthy run-up, which helped him generate more pace. His action was smooth, but he used to put in so much effort that he suffered many injuries in his career. However, he clocked a ball at a speed of 161.2 km/h during the 2003 ODI World Cup against England, which is the fastest ball in cricket history.
