Ten Best Knuckle-ball Specialists in Cricket

A knuckleball is delivered through the index and middle finger as its grip is generally like an off-spin delivery. The pacers use the knuckleball to take the pace off and rush the batters to play the shot. After the introduction of T20 Cricket, the knuckle ball has become a common tool for fast bowlers as well as the spinners with the bowlers getting more clever in utilising it. In this piece, we discuss ten knuckleball specialists in cricket who had the expertise to put it to good use. They varied in their skills but they possessed the expertise in this delivery. We take a look at these ten knuckleball specialists.

Zaheer Khan (India)

When Zaheer Khan introduced knuckle ball only few bowlers could bowl this delivery. The former India pacer used the delivery smartly on slow wickets and in English conditions. His length was around the good length area.

Dilhara Fernando (Sri Lanka)

Fernando’s deceptive pace and length surprised the batters. The former Sri Lankan pacer used the knuckleball smartly with the new ball as well as with the old ball. His in-dippers foxed the batters to play in the wrong line.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India)

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is currently one of the finest knuckle balls in modern-day cricket. The right-arm pacer uses his wrists to get the movement alongside his knuckles while delivering the ball to create problems for the batters when it comes to playing on the front foot.

Charl Langeveldt (South Africa)

When Langeveldt first introduced the knuckleball his teammates burst into laughter but the seamer went on to add variety in that delivery with practice and managed to outsmart the best batters with his length while delivering the ball. His knuckleball was difficult to read as he managed to get the seam movement after the ball landed.

Andrew Tye (Australia)

Tye is one of the finest and smartest users of knuckleball in T20 Cricket. The Australian pacer tends to get slight movement off the pitch that puts the batters in two minds on whether to play on the front foot or the back foot.

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Andile Phehlukwayo (South Africa)

Phehlukwayo’s pace and bounce are one of the advantages that enable him to surprise the batters when he delivers the knuckleball. His knuckleball tends to move into the pads of the batters much like an in-dipper that makes the batters play the wrong length.

Shardul Thakur (India)

Shardul Thakur is another bowler whose pace can trouble the batters but when he delivers the knuckleball it tends to move outside the off-stump and is a bit slower through the air that makes it difficult the batters to judge the length and play the shot early.

Ishant Sharma (India)

Ishant Sharma used the knuckleball on bouncy wickets while bowling the bouncers to make the batters play the pull shot early. Sometimes he delivered the ball around the good length area that looked more like a leg cutter thus creating problems for the batters.

Andre Russell (West Indies)

Russell doesn’t possess the pace but when it comes to his slower ball and knuckle ball he is a clever operator. The Jamaican tends to bring the batters on the front foot with his knuckle ball but it tends to seam away making the batsman play the wrong line.

Mashrafe Murtaza (Bangladesh)

Murtaza’s line was difficult to judge as he managed to get movement off the pitch while delivering a knuckleball. The former Bangladesh captain and pacer was clever with his seam movement which enabled him to deliver the knuckle ball in seaming conditions.

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