Ten Best Swing Bowlers in Cricket

Swing bowling is an art that only a few pacers can master. It is a vital resource for any fast bowler who needs constant practice at the nets to deliver it consistently. A pacer needs to grip the ball with the middle finger in a slanting position to get that late movement in the air and from the wicket to deliver it.

In this piece, we discuss ten bowlers who sharpened their skills in swing bowling even in batting conditions. These bowlers showcased consistency and looked penetrative. Although they possessed different skill sets, when it came to foxing the batters with swing, they were in their own class.

We take a look at the ten best swing bowlers in cricket.

Wasim Akram (Pakistan)

The ‘Sultan of Swing’, as he was fondly called, was one of the greatest swing bowlers of all time. Akram could swing the ball both ways, combined with his pace.

His reverse swing was his main strength. His late movement off the pitch always created problems for the batters, even on batting wickets. The former Pakistani skipper swung the ball with the old ball as well as the new ball

Waqar Younis (Pakistan)

Waqar Younis had the ability to destroy the best batting lineups on his day with his speed and swing. Like Akram, he could swing the ball both ways as his side-arm actions created problems for the batters to judge the length. He was equally penetrative with his reverse swing and was deadly while bowling with the old ball. 

Brett Lee (Australia)

Brett Lee bowled with an electric pace and swung the ball late, which put the batters in two minds. His outswingers were one of his main strengths where he outsmarted the batters in the air with his late movement off the pitch. He brought the ball back in with the old ball, which surprised the batters.

James Anderson (England)

Anderson has set high standards on the field due to his fitness. The pacer can swing the ball both ways, combined with his ability to generate enough pace. Anderson has dominated the best batting lineups with his seam movement and swing. The pacer is arguably one of the finest bowlers in the history of English cricket.

Dale Steyn (South Africa)

Steyn swung the ball both ways, but he generated a lot of pace while swinging the ball, which was quite incredible. The former South African pacer was deadly with the old ball as well as with the new ball. Steyn’s seam movement combined with his late swing created problems for the best batters.

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Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)

The late legendary West Indies pacer generated pace and bounce to unsettle the batters but he showcased tremendous control when it came to swinging the ball. Marshall was a nightmare for the opposition batters during the 1970s and was the deadliest in the West Indian pace attack.

Glenn Mcgrath (Australia)

The former Australian legend showcased tremendous consistency when it came to picking crucial wickets with his swing in different conditions. He used his wrists to good effect to swing the ball both ways, as he could outfox the batters with his length. Batters would often get outsmarted by his late outswingers, ultimately getting out caught behind.

Allan Donald (South Africa)

‘The White Lightning’, as he was fondly called, terrorised the batters with his pace, bounce, and deadly yorkers. He swung the ball with accuracy, as he was penetrative with the new ball as well as the old ball. Donald’s late swing during the death overs was difficult to judge.

Stuart Broad (England)

Broad formed a deadly combo alongside James Anderson, dominating the best batting lineups. The former England pacer swung the ball with his quick pace as he used the seam position cleverly. The pacer adjusted his length and swing depending on the conditions cleverly.

Zaheer Khan (India)

‘Zak’, as he was fondly called, bowled with an upright seam while swinging the ball, which put the batters in two minds. The former left-arm seamer swung the ball well in overcast conditions and used the seam position well to outsmart the batters with his clever outswingers.

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