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Who is Australia’s best ever fast bowler? The top Aussie fast bowlers of all time

jeremy-darke
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Last updated: 18 Jan 2024
Jeremy Darke 18 Jan 2024
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  • Australia's best ever fast bowlers of all time
  • Is Pat Cummins Australia's best ever fast bowler?
  • Who is Australia best ever fast bowler?
Pat Cummins
Can Pat Cummins become Australia's greatest fast bowler of all time? (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Who is Australia’s best ever fast bowler? The top Aussie fast bowlers of all time


The Australian cricket team always prides itself on its pace attack and although our greatest bowler of all time was a spinner, the late Shane Warne, we have had a countless number of quicks that have burnt down the other side of the pitch and lit things up.

There are talks that the current combination of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are the best trio of all time, but do they make the list of Australia’s best ever fast bowlers?

Our Aussibets experts have banged their heads together to give you their top 5 Australian fast bowlers of all time.

#5 Craig McDermott

The late 80’s early 90’s saw a plethora of Craig Mcdermott wickets with 291 against his name in just 71 test matches, he also took 203 ODI wickets in 138 matches.

McDermott could get real outswing on the ball and was feared by opposing batsmen because of the sheer pace of the ball coming at them.

It was a shame that the end of his career was cut short through injury, retiring at the age of 30. Who knows what McDermott’s numbers would have looked like if he stayed injury-free.

#4 Brett Lee

There is not a backyard in Australia that hasn’t seen a Christmas Day wannabe lining up little Timmy with a Brett Lee beamer.

Brett Lee was one of the quickest and most lethal fast bowlers of all time, not just with Australian blood. Lee could consistently fire the ball down the pitch at 150km/h striking fear into opposition batsmen.

Lee overcome injury to have an international career over 13 years taking 310 test wickets. Lee is Australia’s second-highest ODI wicket-taker with 380 wickets including nine five-wicket hauls.

#3 Dennis Lillee

There was no bigger icon in Australian cricket in the 80’s than Dennis Lillee, who dominated the test form with his deadly pace.

Lillee went about his business breaking all sorts of bowling records in the late 70s and early 80s, including surpassing the great Richie Benaud as Australia’s highest wicket-taker. Lillee took 355 Test wickets, including 23 five-wicket hauls with 7/23 being his best figures in the format.

After retirement Lillee has stayed heavily involved in Australian cricket, coaching many of the quicks that came after him.

#2 Pat Cummins

I know it is a bit early but we are going to take the leap and say that Pat Cummins is and/or will be Australia’s second-best fast bowler of all time.

Cummins is on pace to come real close to our best Australian fast bowler’s numbers, comparing games to wickets and his 21.96 average is just 0.32 of our greatest pick’s. The current Aussie captain has taken 262 test wickets in 59 matches and already has 12 five-wicket hauls and 2 ten-wicket hauls in his test career.

Cummins also has an impressive 141 ODI wickets from 88 matches and has a decent batting average of 42.00 in the short-form.

Yes there is a lot to see but he is there and we are sticking by it.

#1 Glenn McGrath

There is no list published that doesn’t have Glen Mcgrath at number one on the all time greatest Australian fast bowler rankings. 

Mcgrath was psychotic with his line and length hitting a five cent piece on the pitch every time and there was nowhere to hide for opposing batmen, who were constantly frustrated by his pinpoint accuracy.

McGrath will be tough to catch when it comes to his wicket-haul of 563 Test wickets in 124 matches at an average of 21.64, and 381 ODI wickets in 250 matches. 

Only being bettered in the test-form by Warnie himself, McGrath will be forever remembered as Australia’s most galant fast bowler long after he is gone.

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