Left-arm bowlers are the beauty of any team’s bowling attack in cricket, not considering their rarity in international cricket. They can swing the ball naturally and create difficult angles for the batter. Right-handed batters often find it hard to dominate the skilled left-arm pacers, especially those who can swing the ball back into them. Even though they are not common in international cricket, they have an undeniable mark. Here are the top 10 best left-arm bowlers of all time:
Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is the greatest left-arm bowler in cricket history, and he earned the title of the “King of Swing.” He mastered reverse swing, seam movement, yorkers, and deceptive slower deliveries. He holds a record with 881 wickets in List-A cricket. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.
Alan Davidson
He was the Australian cricket hero of the 1950s and 60s, feared for his devastating swing and pin-point bouncers. This was a new ball bowler who could produce a lot more than most bowlers. There are only four bowlers to have taken 100 Test wickets at under 21: Derek Underwood, Ian Botham, Hugh Trumble and Glenn McGrath. In 2011, the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inducted him with a total of 856 wickets.
Derek Underwood
Derek Underwood was one of England’s best left-arm spinners. He was known for the accuracy with which he could bowl on damp pitch conditions. His arm-ball was very deadly. He is the only player to have completed 1,000 first-class wickets till 1971 and was the recipient of the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.
Chaminda Vaas
He was a great master of line, length, and swing. Rather than relying on pace, he focused on precision. With more than 400 international wickets and a record 8-19 bowling performance, he is Sri Lanka’s second-most successful fast bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan.
Hedley Verity
He was one of the main performers for England during the 1930s and 40s. A superbly effective slow left-arm bowler, his in-swingers yorkers with precision were enough to send night chills in batters’ veins. The record for a single day’s Test bowling stand with 14 wickets has never been touched. This record he made in a Test played at Lord’s in 1934 against Australia.
Mitchell Johnson
Australia’s Mitchell Johnson was a man with raw pace and aggression. Quickly becoming the fastest to reach 150 Test wickets, he ended his career with 313 Test wickets. He was instrumental in helping Australia to win the fifth successive World Cup in the semi-final and final of 2015.
Rangana Herath
Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath depended on precision rather than his variations. The left-arm spinner has the distinction of taking 433 Test wickets, bettering Daniel Vettori for the most in Test cricket played by a left-arm spinner. He is only the left-arm spinner to pass 400 in Test cricket.
Zaheer Khan
India’s Zaheer Khan was one who very well swung the ball in reverse. With 311 Test wickets at an average of 32.94, he was India’s second-best fast bowler after Kapil Dev. His performance in the 2011 World Cup made him the tournament’s leading wicket-taker and played a crucial role in India’s victory.
Garfield Sobers
West Indian cricketing legend Garfield Sobers was an all-rounder who scored fast and slow left-arm bowling. He had 235 Test wickets with a career average of 34.03 while amassing over 8,000 Test runs. He has more than 1,000 first-class wickets and 28,000 runs in his pocket, and he became a member of the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.
Mitchell Starc
Australian speedster Mitchell Starc is one of the fastest left-arm pacers in history. His 160.4 km/h delivery against Ross Taylor in 2015 remains one of the quickest Test match balls. He holds the record for reaching 100 ODI wickets in the shortest span, achieving it against Sri Lanka in 2016.
About the Author
