Top 5 exponents of reverse swing in modern cricket

Arguably one of the biggest weapons in a bowler’s artillery, reverse swing, is often regarded as a batsman’s nightmare. Typically, most teams consist of a pace battery which is capable of ripping through the top-order of their opponents batting line-up earlier on. While the new ball presents the bowlers with an opportunity to get batsmen out with traditional swing, the real challenge is when the old ball comes into play for both batsmen and the bowler.

While traditional swing has often been dealt with by good batsmen, reverse swing has spit venom at even the greatest of batsmen. Quite unlike conventional swing wherein the ball swings opposite to the direction of shine, reverse swing comes into play when the ball is old and rough and the ball drifts in the direction of the shinier side.

Apart from a considerable amount of inward movement into the batsman, the delay factor in the movement is one of the major reasons why most batsmen are troubled by the reverse swinging delivery. With one of the prerequisites for the reverse swing to come into play being the old and rough condition of the ball, it is generally witnessed in the test scenario and is also seen in patches during the slog overs of One Day International games.

One of the hardest acts to master, the dexterity involved in reverse swing bowling is not something seen in every bowler. Very few of the best bowlers going around the world have comprehended the art and delivered it to perfection such as Wasim Akram, Zaheer Khan, Glenn McGrath, Shane Bond etc.

Here, we try to look at 5 of the best reverse swing bowlers who have perfected reverse swing bowling in the modern generation.

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#5 Wahab Riaz (Pakistan)

Quick and possessing the ability to swing the ball at will, Wahab Riaz has been an integral part of Pakistan's pace battery in the last few years. Capable of delivering the ball at a searing pace steadily above 140 kph, Riaz made his international ODI debut against Zimbabwe in February 2008 prior to making his T20 debut against Bangladesh just a couple of months later.

After a quiet couple of years, Riaz featured in his first test for Pakistan against England in 2010 and impressed straight away, picking up a 5-wicket haul in his first outing. However, an injury soon after sidelined him for the rest of the year.

The 2011 World Cup brought Riaz back into the limelight when he picked up an important 5-wicket haul against India and should also be given a special mention for his testing spell which had the Australian batsmen in an uncomfortable spot throughout the game in the 2015 World Cup.

In the 21 tests that Riaz has played, the pacer has scalped 65 wickets to his name and recently crossed the 100-wicket mark in ODI cricket. Fiery and aggressive with the ball, Riaz’s ability to reverse swing the ball has proved to be very useful in the past.

#4 Mohammed Shami (India)

At the helm of India’s pace attack currently, Mohammed Shami’s ability to swing the new ball both ways and generate reverse swing in the later stages of the game has only enhanced the pacer’s role in the team. Gifted with the capacity to bowl deliveries in excess of 140 kph and produce swing, the pacer has 76 test wickets and 87 ODI wickets to his credit.

The Bengal lad was drafted into the Indian squad early at the back of some stunning domestic performances and debuted against Pakistan in 2013, returning with splendid figures of 9-4-23-1. The same year, he played his first test match against West Indies and knocked the sails out of the visitors with 9 wickets in the match.

The 2015 Cricket World Cup was undoubtedly when Shami produced his best performance, where he picked 17 wickets in seven games and ended the tournament as the second-highest wicket taker for India and the fifth highest overall including a personal best of 4/35 against Pakistan.

Shami also represented the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL for the season 2012-13 prior to donning the Delhi Daredevils jersey, where he has been playing since 2013. Coupled with Umesh Yadav’s ability to swing the ball and the proficiency of Ishant Sharma, Shami forms an integral part of India’s bowling attack.

#3 Dale Steyn (South Africa)

Fast, aggressive and forever competitive, Dale Steyn's dexterity with the red cherry or white ball in hand has more often than not been the reason for South Africa’s astounding success in international cricket. A swift run-up, smooth action and an impeccable expertise in swing bowling are only a few features that can describe South Africa’s premier pacer.

Steyn debuted alongside AB De Villiers in December 2004 but did not cause much of an impact in the series and spent most of his next two two years in the domestic circuit. However, he was destined for more and returned to face New Zealand in 2007 and since then, has not turned back.

The season of 2007/08 saw a completely transformed Steyn, quite visible from the way the pacer was steaming in and causing problems for most batsmen. The whole season saw Steyn produce the best of his performances and with 76 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 16.24, he earned himself the title of the ‘ICC Test Cricketer of the year 2008’.

In the time period of 2008-2014, Steyn occupied the numero uno position in the bowler’s rankings for a record 263 weeks. The pacers record of 417 wickets at 22.63 in tests and 180 wickets at 26.62 only goes onto the speak volumes about the bowler’s immense contribution to the game.

#2 Mitchell Starc (Australia)

A towering figure at a height of 1.89m, Mithcell Starc is easily one of the best fast bowlers in the modern era. Starc’s ability to deliver the ball at a searing pace coupled with his wicket-taking ability has transformed him into a lethal bowler.

The Australian’s biggest strength lies with the fact that he can procure a lot of swing and bounce from the pitch added to the toe-crushing, reverse-swinging yorkers. Since his ODI debut in 2010 against India, Starc has developed his game phenomenally well to suit his style.

After a disappointing debut against India where he went wicketless, the quick remained undeterred and went on picking wickets regularly. In the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup came the pacer’s big break. Drafted into the squad as the frontline pacer, Starc did not disappoint and went on to produce one of the most hostile bowling performances in the tournament’s history.

Right through the tournament, Starc proved unplayable with his mix of pacy, swinging deliveries and bounce. One of the major driving factors towards Australia’s victory, he was unanimously declared as the ‘Man of the tournament’ for his breathtaking performance, picking up 22 wickets at a gobsmacking average of 10.18.

The fastest man to take 100 ODI wickets, Starc also spearheads the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League and the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise in the Indian Premier League.

#1 James Anderson (England)

Arguably one of England’s most prolific pacers over generations, James Anderson’s expertise on swing bowling is a sight to behold. The ace of England’s attack for almost a decade now, the pacer enjoyed a fantastic test debut against Zimbabwe in 2003 where he picked a 5-wicket haul in his first outing to script England’s victory.

Since then, the Lancashire-born pacer has only gone up the ranks to be labelled as one the world’s greatest swing bowlers. Anderson has relished unrivalled success in the test scenario, where he has often stuck to his strengths, swinging the ball with impeccable control added to a disciplined alliance of line and length.

Throughout an injury-ridden career, the England quick has managed to cause large amounts of discomfort for batsmen with his perfection. The first England bowler to take 400 test wickets, Anderson also has an ODI hat-trick to his name which he claimed against Pakistan in 2003.

While controversies have been a part and parcel of his game, the Englishman has performed on the field and has 750+ wickets across all formats of the game.