Who is the greatest fast bowler?

[Paoli]

Two words: Malcolm Marshall.

Why? He was the only bowler that EVERYBODY genuinely feared. He was unplayable at home and abroad, and for a small guy had exceptional pace and control. He was the last great bowler to be able to do what he did; a fete that will by no stretch of the imagination ever be matched again.

[stereotype]

Lillee actually helped Marshall become a better bowler throughout his career.......

[Ninjaman]

Originally Posted by stereotype

Lillee actually helped Marshall become a better bowler throughout his career.......

Which is testament to Lillee's fast bowling coaching abilities.

But in this case, the student surpassed the teacher

[stereotype]

same could be said about McGrath too.....

[The Phantom Ram]

Originally Posted by stereotype

so are you saying that McGrath because he has bowled alongside Warne, Gillespie, Lee, Bichel, Kasprowicz and MacGill that his quality is highlighted even less?

Exactly, there are less chances for McGrath to take wickets - which in turn improve his average and strike rate - because the bowlers at the other end are taking wickets too.

[stereotype]

but you can also say due to McGraths accuracy and ability....he actually creates the wickets at the other end too.....proven when he was injured when India toured Aus and Aus got belted

[Pubuman]

Although McGrath is a fantastic bowler in any condition, I doubt he strikes the same fear into the hearts of batsmen as Lillie did. McGrath is metronomic and gets his wickets through sheer accuracy, where Lillie was simply terrifying... when Lille unleashed his full repertiore no batsmen was safe. Even on McGraths best days a patient enough batsmen will not get out to him (i.e Hasmish Marshall of NZ in the recent series). So in all I'd have to conclude Lillie to be better, but McGrath is a certain great.

[Colourful Chaddi]

The best fast bowler post war has to be Malcolm Marshall. He was a deadly bowler who was only 5'10 tall (considered to be too short for his type of bowling) but he terrified all batsmen with his speed and accuracy. He made his short frame a big advantage because he could make the ball skid of the picth, this advantage made him deadly on any surface. He also have a deadly leg-cutter which he used cleverly on the dustbowls of the sub-contienet. His action was considered to be too open but he still produced great amounts of outswing and inswing from a neutral position without telegraphing his intent. His strike rate of 46.22 was phenomenal, his average of 20.95 equally so.

The best bowler before the war has to be larwood, the reasons have already been discussed in this thread, but i have to say he was phenomenal!!! But i wonder how he would bowl on the picthes of today? Will he bowl better then Marshall?

Other bowler who are worthy of a mention are:

Wasim Akram who is considered by many, including myself, the greatest left arm pace bowler in the 130 years history of the game. He performed equally well in both forms of the game, which some great bowlers have struggled to do, he has been the master of swing, reverse and conventional and with Waqar Younis formed one the worlds deadliest fast bowling pairs.

Waqar Younis really did put revese in swing in the early 90's. In his prime nobody has bowled better in my opnion. He bowled bannna in swingers which made the Brain Lara fall on the gorund! He has the best srtike rate of a bowler and that should be enough to put him on top of the list.

Curley Amrose was tall and agressively mean! He bowled magnificently with an average of 20.99. A real giant of the game.

Joel Garner is another giant of the game who bowled for west indies in the famous quartlet. He is considered by many as the best fast bowler in the 50 overs format and who can disagree? His best spell is the one which broke the dreams of all english fans in the world cup of 1979.

Glenn Magrath has bowled increbibly well considering he wasn;t as fast as the bowler above. He bowls so accuratly many would think he is a machine not man. He is so improtant to the team and captain because he can dismiss the oponets best batsmen and captain-no easy task!

other fast bowlers are Michael Holding, Imran Khan, Wes Hall, Lohman, Kapil Dev, Coutne Walsh, and Denis Lillie

[Aussie_Andy]

the best fast bowler of our time is Brett Lee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The best fast bowler in the past is Dennis Lillee

[Pubuman]

Brett Lee, I don't know about that. A good bowler by any means and any test team would love to have him, but is the greatest of our time, When you put him next to McGrath you'd have to say no quite there yet! I think Brett could be a great bowler, if only he put more deliveries on the "good length to just back of a good length" area. I think he tries to bowl too many wicket takers an over. Maybe two of those and four just probing, because at his pace probing would give any batsmen a pretty decent examination to say the least!