5 most exciting upcoming bowlers in world cricket

One of the most exciting things about watching any sport is to see new talent appearing on the scene and turning into greats of the game. In cricket though, it’s very hard to predict who would go on to become successful and who would just fall by the wayside.

While there are always young players coming through the system in various countries, there are some who have a spark, a special ability to make things happen about them. In this era, there are many new names that have cropped up in T20 leagues around the world and have attracted the attention of fans through their impactful performances.

However, T20 stars fade away as quickly as they rise. It’s in the longer formats of the game that players need a solid base of skills and talent to gain prominence.

Here, then, is a list of five bowlers who have emerged on the international scene in recent times and have shown the ability which, if utilized to its full extent, should lead them to become great names in the world of cricket.

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#5 Hasan Ali

Hasan Ali has been one of the most prolific

wicket takers

in ODI cricket

The seamers, whom everyone takes notice of are usually those who possess extra height or speed. In Tests, pacers with the ability to swing the ball are also regarded as a special lot. But sometimes, a fast-medium bowler may not have these abilities and yet have an uncanny ability to get wickets and make a difference.

Hasan Ali of Pakistan is just that kind of bowler. His type is usually described as ‘skiddy' – those who don’t bowl at express pace but get the ball to go onto the bat quicker than what the batsmen expect. What makes Ali even more impressive is his ability to get the ball to move just enough off the surface to get the edge or beat the bat.

The results have been really good for Ali in ODI cricket so far. He has shown great proficiency in getting wickets in 50-over cricket and has picked up three wickets or more in an ODI 14 times in just 30 matches. This resulted in him becoming the fastest Pakistani bowler to reach 50 ODI wickets – in 24 matches and even gain the top spot in ODI rankings.

Ali also shows great intelligence in his bowling – a must in the batsmen-dominated modern-day ODI cricket. Using plenty of variations of speed and length, the 24-year old never allows the batsmen to settle and keeps challenging him.

With such a consistent display in one-day cricket so far, Ali surely is one of the most exciting talents to watch out for.

#4 Shadab Khan

Shadab Khan has shown an impressive set of skills in ODI cricket

Pakistan have had the luxury of possessing a wonderful leg-spinner – Yasir Shah – in Test cricket, who is a certified match-winner. But in ODIs, where Shah hasn’t been that successful, there is a teenager who is creating great excitement among fans.

Shadab Khan was just 18-years old last year when he debuted in ODI cricket against West Indies during his team’s tour of the Caribbean and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact.

While he picked up five wickets in the three-match series, it wasn’t the figures that caught everyone’s attention but his ability to get prodigious spin and bowl deadly googlies. For such a young man to have these qualities along with the knowledge of how to use them was impressive, to say the least.

Pakistan fast-tracked him into Test cricket but he struggled in his debut which clearly suggests that while there is plenty of talent, his skills need a lot more polishing. But that shouldn’t worry him with age being on his side and a senior pro like Yasir to learn from.

One thing is clear, with the capability of getting sharp turn and mixing it up with brilliant googlies, Shadab is certainly one of the most exciting spinners to watch out for in the coming years.

#3 Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has become a much sought-after player in T20 leagues

Considering the amount of success that Rashid Khan has achieved at the international level, it is hard to believe that he is still just 19 years of age.

The records of players from weaker cricketing nations like Afghanistan can look deceptively impressive due to their teams usually competing against sides from a similar level. But that is not the case for Rashid as his wickets – 91 in 41 games – have come generally against Test playing nations like West Indies and Zimbabwe or an equally competitive team like Ireland.

Unlike Shadab, Rashid bowls in a style more familiar among leg-spinners in limited-overs cricket. Flatter and quicker, he doesn’t get much turn but troubles the batsmen through his unerring line and length. A good googly in his arsenal adds to batsmen’s troubles when facing him.

His success at the international level drew the attention of the IPL talent scouts and he became one of the prized picks in the 2017 auction. And he didn’t disappoint the Sunrisers Hyderabad team, for whom he played, by producing equally enthralling performances in the T20 event.

Rashid seems to have understood the formula for success in limited-overs cricket. With Afghanistan now granted Test status, he would be expected to do well in the longer format also. But whatever the results there, Rashid is certainly one of the hottest commodities in world cricket today.

#2 Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav is the most exciting chinaman bowler in the world today

The rarest breed in international cricket, 'chinaman' or left arm unorthodox spin bowlers are always delightful to watch whenever they appear on the global stage. Surprisingly, India, the hub of spin bowling in the world, is yet to produce a truly great chinaman bowler.

But the search may have come to an end in the form of Kuldeep Yadav. He grabbed the attention of fans and experts first through IPL but it was only last year that he emerged as the most promising left-arm unorthodox tweaker in the world. What makes him special is the control he has over his line and length, something that is essential for any wrist spinner to succeed. Add to that the many tricks and variations in his bowling and you have the complete package of a modern-day spinner.

It is in one-day cricket that his rise has been most impressive. Forming a formidable pair with right-arm leggie Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep has been unstoppable at home and recently proved equally deadly in South Africa.

Kuldeep may have some work to do in his bowling to become a regular at Test level but early signs suggest that India may have finally found a great chinaman bowler too.

#1 Lungi Ngidi

Lungi Ngidi could be the next big thing in South African pace bowling

South Africa seem to churn out talented fast bowlers from a conveyor belt. Not all of them go on to achieve great success but many do leave a mark. So, what makes us think that Lungi Ngidi is the real deal and a bowler who is one for the long haul? After all, we have seen bowlers like Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Marchant de Lange appear and then fade away from the international stage.

To begin with, not only does Ngidi have all the ingredients that make a great fast bowler – height, pace, strength – but also seems to possess the maturity and consistency that young fast bowlers can lack. On his debut Test against India – where he picked up a six-for in the second innings – Lungi showed great maturity by bowling a good line and length and providing all the necessary support to the three renowned pacers in the side.

And things haven’t changed since then. The 21-year old has never looked like getting carried away with his pace or height and sticks to the plan to work the batsmen out. This quality should make him an ideal partner for Kagiso Rabada. Together, these two may form the most exciting fast bowling duo in world cricket since the 90s.