Cricket is an amazing game. It is also called a sensational and suspenseful game as no one knows what is going to happen in the next 10 seconds in which a ball can be thrown and, on this ball, a wicket can be picked up or a six can be made. In every minute, this game changes its tempo. In this list, we are concerned with the top ten greatest bowlers of all time in the history of cricket. Bowling is a very crucial part of cricket. It shares half of the whole cricket game so we can not neglect the role of bowling while watching, playing, analyzing, and ranking cricket teams, players, and matches. In this list, I have discussed the bowlers who deserve to be called “Greater”. These are the greatest bowlers of all time, not a specific time.
I do not say that it is impossible to break their records and I do not claim that history will not repeat itself. There is a maxim that history repeats itself and reverses as well. I hope you will be astonished while reading this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all time in the history of cricket.
10. Shaun Pollock, one of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all time
Shaun Pollock played for South Africa from 1995 to 2008. He was a right-arm medium-fast bowler. He was a good rounder also. Shaun Pollock had a good line and length. He also had a good command in swinging and spinning the ball. He picked up eight hundred wickets in the ODI. Shaun Pollock occupies the 10th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all time in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Shaun Pollock are given below:
| Matches | Innings | Wkts | Ave. | Strike Rate | Eco. | BB | 5 Wks | |
| Test | 108 | 202 | 421 | 23.11 | 57.8 | 02.39 | 07-87 | 16 |
| ODI | 313 | 297 | 393 | 24.50 | 39.9 | 03.67 | 0 6-35 | 05 |
| T20I | 12 | 11 | 15 | 20.60 | 16.2 | 07.62 | 03-28 | 0 |
9. Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis played for Pakistan from 1989 to 2003. He was right arm, fast bowler. He played his ODI debut at Sharjah on October 14, 1989. He played his test debut against India on 15th Nov. 1989 at Karachi. Yorker was his lethal weapon by which he doubled the world’s greatest batsmen of that time. He was called King of reverse swing. He picked up 800 wickets in his international career. He occupies the 9th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Waqar Younis are given below:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 87 | 154 | 373 | 23.56 | 43.4 | 03.25 | 07-76 | 22 |
| ODI | 262 | 258 | 416 | 23.84 | 30.5 | 04.68 | 07-36 | 13 |
| T20 | 0 7 | 07 | 05 | 36.20 | 31.2 | 06.96 | 03-21 | 0 |
8. Dennis Lillee, one of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all time
Dennis Lille played for Australia from 1971 to 1984. This right-arm Australian fast bowler is regarded as one of the top ten greatest bowlers of all time. Dennis Lillee’s first Test Debut was against England on January 29, 1971, in Adelaide. During thirteen year long career, he pocketed 355 tests and 103 ODI wickets. He has the honor to be inducted Into the ICC Cricket Hall of fame. He occupies the 8th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all time in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Dennis Lillee are below:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 70 | 132 | 355 | 23.92 | 52.0 | 02.75 | 07-83 | 23 |
| ODI | 63 | 63 | 103 | 34.8 | 03.58 | 05-34 | 01 | |
| T20 | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played |
7. Richard Hadlee
Sir Richard Hadlee played for New Zealand from 1973 to 1990. He was the best all-rounder. He had a marvellous command over his line and length. He was the first bowler who crossed the figure of four hundred wickets in a test. In the 80s, his bowling was truly lethal for batsmen. He was one of the top four all-rounders in the 80s. He occupies the 7th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Richard Hadlee are in the table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 86 | 150 | 431 | 22.29 | 50.8 | 02.63 | 09-52 | 36 |
| ODI | 115 | 112 | 158 | 21.56 | 39.1 | 03.30 | 05-25 | 05 |
| T20 | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played |
6. Glenn McGrath one of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all time
Glenn McGrath the greatest bowler of all times, played for Australia from 1993 to 2007. He was a medium-fast bowler. His debut in a one-day international was against South Africa on December 9, 1993, in Melbourne. He played his Test debut on Nov. 12, 1993, against New Zealand in Perth. He had a splendid command over line and length. Consistently bowling at Off stump was his lethal bowling weapon. He occupies the 6th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Glenn McGrath are in below table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 124 | 243 | 563 | 21.64 | 51.9 | 02.49 | 08-24 | 29 |
| ODI | 250 | 248 | 381 | 22.02 | 34.0 | 03.88 | 07-15 | 0 7 |
| T20I | 0 2 | 02 | 05 | 15.80 | 09.6 | 09.87 | 03-31 | 0 |
5. Anil Kumble
Anil Kumble’s first ODI debut was against Sri Lanka on April 25, 1990, in Sharjah. He played his first test debut against England on Aug. 9, 1990, in Manchester. Intelligence, consistency, persistency, and accurate line and length were his salient features. He picked up more than 900 wickets In international cricket. Kumble is the third-highest wicket-taker in India. He occupies the 5th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Anil Kumble are in below table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 132 | 236 | 619 | 29.65 | 65.9 | 02.69 | 10-74 | 35 |
| ODI | 271 | 265 | 337 | 30.89 | 43.0 | 04.30 | 06-12 | 02 |
| T20 | 54 | 54 | 57 | 24.36 | 21.8 | 06.69 | 05-5 | 01 |
4. Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram played for Pakistan from 1984 to 2003. He was a left-arm fast bowler. He played his debut against New Zealand on January 25, 1984, in Auckland. His first test debut was also against New Zealand on Nov. 23, 1984, in Faisalabad. He is true, the greatest fast bowler in cricket history. He had a marvelous and lethal command over swing and reverse swing. He is also renowned as the Sultan of Swing. In his nineteen-year career, he picked up over 900 wickets in international cricket. He is placed at no. 4 in this list of the top ten greatest bowlers of all times in cricket history. He occupies the 4th position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Wasim Akram are in below table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 104 | 181 | 414 | 23.62 | 54.6 | 02.59 | 07-119 | 25 |
| ODI | 356 | 351 | 502 | 23.52 | 36.2 | 03.89 | 05-15 | 06 |
| T20 | 05 | 05 | 08 | 15.12 | 14.2 | 06.36 | 02-19 | 0 |
3. Shane Warne
Shane Warne played for Australia from 1992 to 2007. He was a right-arm wrist spinner. Without a doubt, he is the greatest bowler in the history of cricket. The greatly astonishing moment of cricket was when he crossed the figure 1000 wickets in international cricket. He was the greatest player ever in the history of world cricket. He occupies the 3rd position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Shane Warne are in the below table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 145 | 273 | 708 | 25.41 | 57.4 | 02.65 | 0 8-71 | 37 |
| ODI | 194 | 191 | 293 | 25.73 | 36.3 | 0 4.25 | 0 5-33 | 01 |
| T20 | 73 | 71 | 70 | 26.61 | 22.1 | 07.22 | 04-21 | 0 |
2. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan played for Sri Lanka from 1992 to 2011. He was the greatest spinner in the cricket history of the world. He played his ODI debut against India on Aug. 12, 1992, in Colombo. His Test debut was against Australia on Aug. 28, 1992. Although controversies followed him but could not affect his performance. He is the highest wicket-taker in international cricket history. He picked up over 1300 wickets. He occupies the 2nd position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Muttiah Muralitharan are in below table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 133 | 230 | 800 | 22.72 | 55.0 | 02.47 | 09-51 | 67 |
| ODI | 350 | 241 | 534 | 23.08 | 35.2 | 03.93 | 07-30 | 10 |
| T20I | 12 | 12 | 13 | 22.84 | 21.6 | 06.31 | 03-29 | 0 |
1. Sydney Barnes
Sydney Barnes is regarded as no. one greatest player of all times in cricket history. He had command in both fields, slow medium, and medium-fast. He played his test debut at Sydney on Dec. 13, 1901. He took 1432 wickets. He played cricket until the age of 61. He had a tremendous average of nine runs per wicket. He is at no. 1 position in ICC’s ever-best test champion ranking of bowlers. From 1901 to 1914, while playing for England he picked 189 wickets with an average of 16.43 runs per wicket. He has the honor to be inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame. He occupies the 1st position in this list of the top 10 greatest bowlers of all times in the history of cricket.
Career Highlights of Sydney Barnes are in below table:
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Economy | BBI | 5 Wk | |
| Test | 27 | 50 | 189 | 16.43 | 41.6 | 02.36 | 09-103 | 24 |
| First Class | 133 | 719 | 17.09 | 43.8 | 02.33 | 09-103 | 68 | |
| ODI | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played | Not played |