Cricket
Master of slower ball ! A look at slowest ball in cricket history
who is the master of the slower ball in cricket? Discover the feats of game who have mastered the variation
Jasprit Bumrah//Getty Images
Variations in bowling is one of the things that defines the skills of the bowlers in cricket. Be it spinners or pacers, the bowler who can outfox and outshine the batter is rated highly and is touted as successful. One of the most common variations used by the bowler is a slower delivery which has been highly successful for the bowlers over the years and has seen even quality batters perishing to it.
The game of cricket has seen quite a few stalwarts that have made themselves huge names in the bowling. While many bowlers have hogged the headlines because of their fast bowling speed, some of them have gained the limelight with their slower balls. In this piece, we will take a look at the slowest ball in cricket history.
Slowest ball in cricket history
| Player name | Team | Speed of ball | Against | Year |
| Majid Haq | Scotland | 65 kmph | NA | NA |
| Jasprit Bumrah | India | 113 kmph | Australia | 2018 |
| Shoaib Akhtar | Pakistan | NA | England | 2005 |
| Chris Cairns | New Zealand | NA | England | NA |
| Aaqib Javed | Pakistan | NA | New Zealand | 1992 |
| Dwayne Bravo | West Indies | 117 kmph | India | 2006 |
| Naved-Ul Hasan | Pakistan | NA | India | NA |
1. Majid Haq,65 kmph, Scotland
The slowest ball in cricket history belongs to Scotland’s Majid Haq. The spinner once bowled a delivery at a speed of 41.6 mph which is equivalent to 65 km/h. He is the second-highest wicket-taker for Scotland in history and his contribution to the team has been immense as he played a huge role in the development of cricket in the country.
2. Jasprit Bumrah, 113 kmph, India
The second slowest ball in the history of cricket was bowled by Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. It was during the Test match against Australia in 2018 at Melbourne when he achieved the feat. On day 3 ahead of the Lunch, the fast bowler delivered a staggering slower delivery that was yorker and outfoxed Shaun Marsh completely. His exceptional delivery provided India with a much important breakthrough.
3. Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan
The third name on the list of slowest balls in cricket history will surprise you. Shoaib Akhtar, who is regarded as the fastest bowler in the world, delivered the third-slowest ball in the history of cricket. Akhtar, who holds the record for bowling 161 kmph delivery, outfoxed an England batter during the Test match in 2005. He removed the batter by trapping him in lbw and etched his name in the record books of slowest balls in the history of the game.
4. Chris Cairns, New Zealand
Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns is also amongst the top five bowlers who have bowled the slowest ball in cricket history. He was known for his slower deliveries in his career and he once bowled an exceptional slower ball that outfoxed the batter in all ends. During the game against England, he bowled a delivery that caught the batter off guard and went on to rattle his stumps. Even though the batter tried to defend the ball went through his defenses.
5. Aaqib Javed, Pakistan
Former Pakistan cricketer Aaqiq Javed is fifth in the list of slowest balls in cricket history. He bowled one of the finest slower balls in the history of the game as it helped Pakistan win the 1992 World Cup in Australia. Javed bowled a sensational off-pace ball in the semi-final against New Zealand. He outfoxed Mark Greatbatch, who was batting in terrific form. The pacer first attempted the slower ball but the batter was hit out of line on the pads. However, he continued with the same strategy and deceived the batter with a brilliant slow-leg cutter that bowled him out.
FAQs
The fastest ball in Test cricket was bowled by Australian pacer Mitchell Starc. The left-arm pacer has been staggering in the longest format of the game and he achieved the feat during the second Test in 2015 against New Zealand when he bowled 160.4 kilometres per hour (km/h) ball.
Former Australian pacer Shaun Tait, who played for Rajasthan Royals, holds the record for the fastest ball in the history of the IPL. He bowled a delivery at a speed of 157.71 kph while playing against Delhi Daredevils. Aaron Finch was at the receiving end of it.
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