Top 5 Fast Bowlers to watch out for in the 2023 Cricket World Cup

The 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will showcase the best of the best Fast bowlers from all teams. This article will present the top 5 Fast Bowlers to watch out for in this edition of cricket’s biggest tournament.

Presented by: Raghunath Nair

Introduction

If the game is played in India, the general discussion in cricket is focussed on the Batsman and the Spin bowlers, but the outcome of how teams perform in this World Cup will heavily depend on the fast-bowling battery.

Presenting the best fast bowlers to watch this World Cup

Jasprit Bumrah

India’s premier fast bowler has been out of action for almost 2 years and has missed out on a lot of cricket during his injury. He has fully recovered and has played some games to make himself match-ready for the World Cup.

Prior to his injury, Jasprit Bumrah was considered the best death bowler in the game, and in the games played after his comeback, Bumrah has not lost his magic.

He will give the Indian Team the initial burst with the new ball but more importantly, he will be Rohit Sharma’s go-to bowler at the death.

Being an attacking bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is surprisingly a very economical bowler and boast one of the best economical rates in overs 40 – 50.

Mitchell Starc

Australia’s star bowler has also been out of action for a few months due to injury.

A Hat Trick in the warm-up game against the Netherlands will make the Australian camp breath easy as the return of a full-fit Mitchell Starc would balance the bowling attack for the Aussies.

The Australian bowling attack during the recently concluded India series was average due to Starc’s absence.

In the slow and low Indian pitch conditions, the South Paw’s sheer pace and incoming deliveries will shake the best batting lineups in this World Cup.

He holds the distinction of being a two-time leading wicket in the previous two editions of the World Cup

He is already considered amongst one of Australia’s all-time greatest fast bowlers.

Mitchell Starc’s classical left-arm action and ability to swing the ball at pace, makes him a genuine wicket-taker in the modern era.

Shaheen Shah Afridi

Shaheen Afridi is probably the biggest threat to any opposition batting lineup and the best inform bowler in this list of fast bowlers.

Shaheen Afridi is Babar’s go-to man in the Powerplay overs. He is expected to take the initial breakthroughs to ease the pressure of the middle overs.

With the Harris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi pair, Pakistan goes into the tournament as the best new ball bowling attack.

The India-Pakistan Clash will be a mouth-watering one as fans will eagerly wait to see the South paw take on the mighty Indian batting.

He is a naturally gifted bowler and he is especially lethal against right-hand batsman.

Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada is South Africa’s most consistent new ball bowler. He will have to take the additional responsibility in the bowling department due to the absence of Anrich Nortje who is out of the tournament due to an injury.

Rabada gets the extra bounce and pace from the Indian wickets which makes him a dangerous ODI bowler. Rabada is a regular in the Indian Premier League and this will help him be familiar with all World Cup venues.

Kagiso Rabada regularly bowls in the 140-150kph range.

Mark Wood

In Indian conditions, Mark Wood will be a threat with his pace. Surprisingly Bowlers with extra pace do trouble batsmen in India due to the low bounce nature of the pitch. Pace can hurry the batsman in forcing them to play a mistimed shot or miss the ball completely for an LBW.

Mark Wood would be England’s new ball bowler and could prove to be an important player for England in their quest to defend their title.

Mark Wood is one of the fastest bowlers going around in world cricket at the moment. Not only does Wood clock speeds of over 150 kmph consistently but he also troubles quality batters with his steep bouncers.

ODI Records*

Name	Country	ODI Matches Played	Wickets	Econ	Average	Bowling Style
Jasprit Bumrah	India	78	129	4.67	24.3	RHB
Mitchell Starc	Australia	111	220	5.13	22.2	LHB
Shaheen Afridi	Pakistan	44	86	5.45	23.4	LHB
Kagiso Rabada	South Africa	92	144	5.06	27.8	RHB
Mark Wood	England	59	71	5.42	37.9	RHB