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Quickest 5 Bowlers from each country..

Zinzan

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Who are the 'quickest' 5 bowlers to have played for each nation...

I'll attempt Australia & NZ

Australia

Shaun Tait - top speed (155-161kms )
Jeff Thomson (155-161)
Brett Lee (152-157)
Mitchell Johnson (150-155)
Dirk Nannes (150-155)

Possibly Pascoe, Hogg & Lillee (at his fastest)

New Zealand

Shane Bond - top speed (148-155)
Gary Bartlett - (played 10 tests for NZ in the '60s, apparently well over 90 miles per hour)
Ian Butler -before injury (144-150)
Mark Gillespie (rubbish as he was still bowled 142-148 at his quickest
Heath Davis - Probably around (143-147) at his quickest


Particularly Interested in India & Sri Lanka
 

Zinzan

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^ On NZ, Dion Nash, Dick Motz, Geoff Allott & Chris Cairns were all around 145kms at their quickest
 

Zinzan

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Surely Richard Hadlee (Version 1) warrants a place in that list?
Contemplated it, but remember seeing that fast bowling comp on Oz in 1979 & Hadlee was surprisingly express-less (albeit the speed-guns were ancient). But maybe your right, he did look pretty rapid in that 1976 series against India.
 

Howsie

International Captain
^ On NZ, Dion Nash, Dick Motz, Geoff Allott & Chris Cairns were all around 145kms at their quickest
Iain O'Brien, he was up in the high 140's against Pakistan the summer just been. Simon Doull was a capable 140+ bowler at one point too wasn't he?
 
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Zinzan

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True, he'd seldom get that sort of rhythm though, but when he was on song he could hit the 143-147 range
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Contemplated it, but remember seeing that fast bowling comp on Oz in 1979 & Hadlee was surprisingly express-less (albeit the speed-guns were ancient). But maybe your right, he did look pretty rapid in that 1976 series against India.
He looked distinctly rapid (crap mind) in the Test he played in England in '73

Dayle looked a much better bowler - first impressions and all that!
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
SL

Lasith Malinga (150 - 155 at quikest, 140 - 145 general)
Dilhara Fernando (150 at quickest, 135 - 140 general)
Prabath Nissanka (149 at quickest, 135 - 140 general)
Dhammika Prasad (148 at quickest, 132 - 137 general)
Thilan Thushara (145 at quickest, 130 - 140 general)

Besides them, Ishara Amerasinghe used to hit 150k before getting injured (never played tests, even after injury bowled 140 - 145k in ODIs he played). Nissanka started very brightly, but a knee injury ended his career. Rumesh Ratnayake is also some where there. You usually don't break noses of West Indians of 80s unless you are quick.

And from pre - test era, TB Kehelgamuwa used to be very sharp, said to bowl a over to Boycott reminiscent of Holding's and finally sending Boycott's stumps cartwheeling.
 

Zinzan

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Yeah, saw some highlights of that series a few years back & Dayle looked as if he was a cunning bowler.
 

Zinzan

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SL

Lasith Malinga (150 - 155 at quikest, 140 - 145 general)
Dilhara Fernando (150 at quickest, 135 - 140 general)
Prabath Nissanka (149 at quickest, 135 - 140 general)
Dhammika Prasad (148 at quickest, 132 - 137 general)
Thilan Thushara (145 at quickest, 130 - 140 general)

Besides them, Ishara Amerasinghe used to hit 150k before getting injured (never played tests, even after injury bowled 140 - 145k in ODIs he played). Nissanka started very brightly, but a knee injury ended his career. Rumesh Ratnayake is also some where there. You usually don't break noses of West Indians of 80s unless you are quick.

And from pre - test era, TB Kehelgamuwa used to be very sharp, said to bowl a over to Boycott reminiscent of Holding's and finally sending Boycott's stumps cartwheeling.
Was Ratnayake the dude who used to wear the head-band? If so, he was fairly rapid
 

Howsie

International Captain
Brendon Bracewell, he was apparently pretty fast when he made his debut for New Zealand in the late 70's. A series of stress fractures killed him off pretty quickly though.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
In order:
Zahid
Shoaib
Waqar
Sami
Mohd Akram.

Hear Khan Mohammad was rapid also Wasim on his good days could be slippery.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Waqar in his 89'-94' days was extremely fast, Martin Crowe reckons he's the fastest he's ever faced and he broke a lot of stumps, I think he must have hit 155 pretty often and might even have topped out on 160.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
Waqar in his 89'-94' days was extremely fast, Martin Crowe reckons he's the fastest he's ever faced and he broke a lot of stumps, I think he must have hit 155 pretty often and might even have topped out on 160.
yup he was rapid but I think its the massive inswing that made him feel faster.The first time a speed gun was used was in a tri series involving Pak-Wi-Saf in 92-93.Not sure about those speed guns reliability but Waqar maxed out at 152 and Donald at 151 fastest Wasim hit was 144.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
yup he was rapid but I think its the massive inswing that made him feel faster.The first time a speed gun was used was in a tri series involving Pak-Wi-Saf in 92-93.Not sure about those speed guns reliability but Waqar maxed out at 152 and Donald at 151 fastest Wasim hit was 144.
Thanks, didn't know that.
 

Zinzan

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In order:
Zahid
Shoaib
Waqar
Sami
Mohd Akram.

Hear Khan Mohammad was rapid also Wasim on his good days could be slippery.
Surely Shoaib's Pakistan's quickest ever, topped 160kms on a couple of occasions IIRC
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
Surely Shoaib's Pakistan's quickest ever, topped 160kms on a couple of occasions IIRC
Zahis never played in a game where speeds were recoded though unoffically I know a ball of his has been unoffically calculated at 164.1.

Many former Pakistani players as well as greats like Lara who have played with/against both and they all maintain Zahid was quicker by a margin and even the egostical Shoaib has made the statement that Zahid was quicker.

We can thank Ramiz Raja for destroying a potentially wonderful career.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
India

Javagal Sreenath hit 154 km/hr once.

Sreesanth, in a recent ODI against South bowled one at 156.9 km/hr(It went for four though, half volley)

Ishant Sharma tops out in the higher end of the 140s.

Madan Lal said in an interview that even at the age of 30 he could bowl at over 140 km/her but I don't know how much truth I can dig from his statement.

Noone knows how fast Md. Nissar or Amar Singh was but Len Hutton rated Amar Singh the finest bowler he has faced and also finer than any of the bowlers in the 70s(35 years after he faced Amar Singh) Wally Hammond reckons Amar Singh came off the pitch like the 'crack of doom'. Amar Singh was known for his movement of the pitch and his deceptive late swing but not much for his pace.

Md. Nissar however was express pace, and he relied mainly on his speed to get his wickets. 13 of his 25(52%) Test wickets including ones like Hutton and Sutcliffe fell leg-before or Bowled as testimony to his pace. He might well have been the fastest the country has produced.
 

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