England’s greatest fast bowler James Anderson has created a buzz by sharing his personal list of the greatest fast bowlers in the blind ranking challenge amid the ongoing Ashes 2025-26 in Australia. Anderson picks the greatest fast bowlers of all time on the Instagram page of Tailenders Podcast.
Anderson placed England legend Ian Botham at the top of his list. Botham enjoyed a remarkable international career, taking 528 wickets at an average of 28.44. He also took five wickets 27 times and his ability to change games with both ball and bat clearly earned him a top spot in Anderson’s list of the greatest fast bowlers.
James Anderson names the greatest fast bowlers of all time
The Englishman gave second place to former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn. Steyn, known for his pace, aggression and consistency across all formats during his illustrious career, is one of the greatest fast bowlers the game has ever seen. The Proteas great finished his international career with 699 wickets at an average of 23.37 and 29 five-wicket hauls.
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Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah also got a place in the exclusive club of great fast bowlers of England. Anderson gave third place to Bumrah. Indian fast bowlers have already taken 484 international wickets and their bowling average is less than 21.
Bumrah’s unconventional action, deadly accuracy and ability to perform well in all conditions has made him one of the most dangerous bowlers in modern cricket. Interestingly, Bumrah was selected above Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock, Lasith Malinga and Mitchell Johnson.
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Pakistan great Wasim Akram finished fourth and Anderson named him the best left-arm fast bowler. Akram ended his career with 916 international wickets, placing him third on the all-time list of fast bowlers, behind only Anderson and Glenn McGrath.
West Indies legend Michael Holding finished fifth. Holding, who was renowned for his effortless run-up and intense pace, finished his international career with 391 wickets at an excellent average of 22.84. He is one of the most stylish and effective fast bowlers the game has ever seen.
Meanwhile, former Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga was also picked by Anderson at No. 6, largely because of his dominance in white-ball cricket, where his unique sling-arm action and lethal yorkers made him almost unstoppable. Malinga ended his international career with 546 wickets.
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Former South African captain Shaun Pollock was placed at number seven. Pollock, who was known for his control and consistency rather than raw pace and was one of the most reliable fast bowlers of his era, took 829 international wickets at an average of less than 24.
New Zealand’s left-arm fast bowler Trent Boult was ranked eighth by the former England fast bowler. Boult has taken over 600 international wickets at an average of 25.60. Anderson passed his former rival and former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for ninth place.
The left-arm fast bowler ended his career with 590 international wickets at an average of 26.65 and 15 five-wicket hauls. Anderson’s last place in the top 10 went to his former teammate Jofra Archer. This England fast bowler has shown immense potential despite battling injuries and has taken 163 international wickets so far.