5 bowlers who can break Shoaib Akhtar's world record for the fastest ball (161.3 km/h)

One thing that always excites a cricket fan is to watch bowlers crank up the pace. In the last two decades, players like Brett Lee, Shaun Tait, Mitchell Starc, Shane Bond, Dale Steyn, and Mitchell Johnson have clocked up and above 155 km/h in their prime.

Shoaib Akhtar bowled the fastest ball in the history of cricket at 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph). He did it against England on 22 February 2003 in a World Cup match at Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa.

Over the years, several bowlers have come close to breaking it, but none of them could go past 161.3 km/h. As experts always say, records are meant to be broken, and Akhtar’s record would most likely be surpassed one day.

On that note, let’s take a look at the current bowlers who can break the world record of Shoaib Akhtar's fastest ball in cricket history.

#5 Billy Stanlake

Stanlake has been in good form for Australia

Billy Stanlake in the newest kid in the block in the long list of Australian pacers who have struck terror in the heart of their opponents. Towering at 204 cm, the 25-year-old has produced some fiery spells for Australia in recent times.

Billy Stanlake is built to bowl quick and is one of the most deadly fast bowlers in the world right now. He has consistently clocked speeds close to 150 km/h and his fastest was 151.5 km/h, bowled against New Zealand in February 2018. He also clocked 151.38 km/h in IPL 2018.

He is young and raw, and will only get better with age and experience. If he manages to stay fit, he could be the future of Australian cricket and a significant threat to Shoaib Akhtar’s magical milestone.

#4 Pat Cummins

This bloke can crank it up

Australia is known for producing genuine fast bowlers, and Pat Cummins is one of them. Cummins made his Test match debut for Australia at the age of 18. He has played 18 Tests and 39 One Day Internationals for Australia as of now.

Pat Cummins has bowled 150 km/h at the age of 18, but, injury hampered his progress. He struggled to play consistently in his early 20’s, but 2017 was an excellent year for him. He played well for Australia in all the formats and picked up a lot of wickets to become the best Test bowler in the world.

He has clocked speeds of mid 150 km/h after his injury comeback. He is 26 and while there is not much improvement possible for a world number one, but he could still go onto add some more pace. If he stays fit, Cummins has a great chance to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record.

#3 Jofra Archer

Archer has bowled with a lot of pace in BBL and IPL

Jofra Archer is the latest sensation in world cricket. Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Archer is already a world champion in the ODI format.

Rajasthan Royals bought him for a huge money in the 2018 auction, and he repaid their faith with some exceptional bowling performances. He bowled speeds of 150 km/h in the tournament and his fastest ball in IPL was clocked at 152.39 km/h. It was also the quickest ball bowled in IPL 2018.

He is only 25 and has delivered on what he promised in a very short span of time. With a smooth action and stride which guarantees less stress, Archer could go onto become on the greatest fast bowlers England have ever produced.

However, in the recent times, his workload has been immensely scrutinised. Pundits have criticised the ECB after Archer received a stress fracture during the World Cup, and yet was called upon to play in all formats for several months after that without a break.

#2 Kagiso Rabada

Rabada can get a lot quicker

The South African seamer is one of the exciting fast bowlers in the world right now. He is already the leader of the South Africa pace attack and can bowl at a fiery pace.

The 23-year-old has already played 30 Tests and 40 One Day Internationals for South Africa. He has been hugely successful for the Proteas over the years and has picked up almost 250 international wickets.

Rabada has clocked speeds of 150 km/h consistently and proved accurate with his line and length as well. Ever since his debut for South Africa in 2014, he has made a considerable progress in his career.

With time on his side, expect the 24-year-old to crank it up a lot more. He has bowled a few balls in his career that came close to mid 150s. It's only a matter of time before this boy wonder breaks the 160-mark.

#1 Mitchell Starc

Starc already broke the 160 km/h barrier

It does not get any closer than this. The Australian speedster is arguably the fastest bowler in the world right now. He has already breached the 160 km/h mark, and in doing so, he became only the fifth bowler to achieve it.

Mitchell Starc's fastest ball till date is a 160.4 km/h thunderbolt to Ross Taylor during the third day of the second Test against New Zealand at the WACA, Perth. It fell agonisingly short of the 100-mile mark and ended up at 99.68 km/h. It was the fastest ball ever bowled in a Test match.

The 30-year-old can consistently clock speeds of 150 km/h in all formats of the game and has bowled close to 160 km/h on quite a few occasions. If it has got to happen, it has got to happen in the next year and a half. With the action taking a toll on his back and ankle, Starc could be dropping pace very soon.