Ten Best Slow Ball Specialists in Cricket

A slower ball is delivered at a pace slower than the original speed by a pacer that takes the batters by surprise and hurries them into playing the shot early. A slower ball is normally delivered by a pacer from the back of his hands much like a leg spin or an off spin. A slower ball is one of the most effective deliveries for pacers, and after the introduction of T20 Cricket have added different variations to it. In this piece, we discuss pacers who used slower deliveries to good effect by adjusting their pace depending on the nature of wickets and playing conditions. We take a look at ten slow-ball specialists in cricket.

Glenn McGrath (Australia)

McGrath was penetrative when it came to foxing the batters with his seam movement but his slower ones were equally effective with the old ball. The former Australian pacer delivered the ball like an off-spin but with a cross-seam grip.

Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka)

Vaas used his grip very cleverly just before delivering the ball. He changed his grip at the last moment to outsmart the batters in the air and make them play a rash shot at mid-off or point by making them play early.

Allan Donald (South Africa)

Donald’s jump and his ability to surprise with the pace was his strength but when it came to his slower ones he used the grip of an off-spinner or an off-cutter that put the batters in two minds.

Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)

‘Rawalpindi Express’ as he was fondly called got the ball to nip with his quick pace but when it came to his slower ones the speedster would outsmart the batters with his clever change of pace at the last moment.

Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)

Bravo possessed one of the most clever slower balls when it came to hurrying a batter to play a big shot. The Trinidadian delivered the ball just like a flighted-off spin delivery. Bravo played in different T20 leagues globally which helped him sharpen his slower ball and add new variations to it.

Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)

Mustafizur possesses one of the finest slower balls in modern day cricket. His uses the knuckle ball grip or sometimes releases the ball as an off spin delivery. Mustafizur uses the slower delivery cleverly during the middle overs as well during the death overs.

Also Read | Ten Best Knuckle-ball Specialists in Cricket

Ian Harvey (Australia)

Harvey was a clever operator of the slower delivery when it came to outsmarting the batters in the middle overs. The medium pacer released the slower ball with cross seam grip or it was just like a leg spin where the batters would get out by hitting across the line.

James Faulkner (Australia)

Faulkner used the slower ones mostly during the death overs in the limited overs format but when it came to the T20 format he would sometimes bowl atleast one slower ball per over. He used to roll his wrist and delivered the ball just like a leg spin that landed at the good length area.

Irfan Pathan (India)

Pathan’s delivered the slower much like an off spin where he drove the batters forward to play a big shot over the infield but the batter woul often get holed out at the boundary. Sometimes he used an off cutter grip.

Andre Russell (West Indies)

Russell isn’t express pace but when it comes to his slower ones he can land the ball in the good length area as he mostly uses the cross seam grip and gives it a bit of air to put the batters in two minds as far as the shot selection is concerned.

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