The cricket fraternity has witnessed countless battles between the batsmen and bowlers in international cricket. Back in those days, bowlers sent shivers down batsmen’s spines by pitching the balls at tight line and length. The bowlers were able to pull yorkers out of nowhere to unsettle the batters, in the hope of dismissing them.
However, not many survived the heat. Even the ones who had application and technique had no solution to such unplayable deliveries. As the years progressed, the sport gradually shifted towards batsmen’s favour because of the batting friendly conditions.
The bowlers hardly gave batters a run for their money. Besides that, we hardly see bowlers nailing toe-crushing Yorkers these days. Bowling a yorker is not that easy as it requires a skill with no margin for error else it might lead to gifted full toss. Let’s take a look at the 10 best yorker specialists of all time.
1. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga was one of the integral parts of Sri Lankan cricket history. He was a nightmare to the batters, courtesy of his slingy, side-arm bowling action. The batsmen found it literally tough to pick his deliveries.
Moreover, his yorkers were nearly impossible to pick up. What made him a class apart was his impeccable ability to bowl yorkers in the death overs, which made him a go-to bowler for his captains in clutch moments.
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2. Shane Bond
Shane Bond was widely acknowledged as one of the quickest and most skillful pacers in the history of the game. Despite the fact that his cricketing venture was marred by injuries, he still left a mark on the game.
Several quality batters fell prey to Shane Bond’s blistering pace and unplayable yorkers. He was best known for bowling yorkers at a brisk pace, dismissing the batters either by making a mess of their stumps or trapping them for a leg before wicket.
3. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is considered as one of the best fast bowlers across all three formats of the modern-era. It is worth noting that he immensely benefitted from Lasith Malinga’s mentorship at Mumbai Indians.
The Ahmedabad-born has often credited the Sri Lankan legend for massively influencing his development. Over the years, Bumrah perfected the art of bowling pinpoint yorkers, a special skill he honed by practicing with Malinga.
4. Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram is often reverred as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. He was best known for his impeccable ability to swing the ball both ways, combined with his pace and accuracy, which made him a formidable force to be reckoned with in Tests and ODIs.
He is popularly known as the “Sultan of Swing” because of his ability to swing the ball both ways with deft control. Apart from that, he was exceptionally good at bowling toe-crushing yorkers. He had the special ability in moving the ball a tad late, which made his yorkers much more challenging to face.
5. Mitchell Starc
Australia have always been a nation that has produced top-tier fast bowlers in their history. Mitchell Starc became a formidable bowling weapon for the Aussies, courtesy of his raw pace, swing variations, and potential to perform under pressure.
The left-arm paceman is best-known to bowl yorkers with accuracy. Notably, he had control over the length and line of the ball. He had time and again ruffled the batsmen’s feathers with deadly yorkers.
6. Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis is widely hailed as one of the pioneers and masters of reverse swing bowling in cricket history. He had one of the best techniques, pace, accuracy, late swing and deadly yorkers in his arsenal.
Just like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis produced impactful and match-winning performances for Pakistan during the playing days. He targeted the base of the stumps with the reverse-swinging deliveries and often reaped the rewards.
7. Chaminda Vaas
Bowling yorkers does not necessarily require extreme pace. While it is perceived that pace can certainly make yorkers more challenging for batters owing to less reaction time, the bottom line is the accuracy and the skill with which it’s executed and Chaminda Vaas was one of a kind.
He was not the fastest bowler of his era but had the application and technique to get the job done. Vaas who is widely acknowledged as one of the successful bowlers in international cricket could pitch his yorkers with precision. Batters found it challenging to pick his lengths and score in the death overs.
8. Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada is regarded as one of the best all-format bowlers in the present era. His potential to land yorkers at the batsmen’s toe and that too at blistering pace were nearly impossible to play.
Besides that, he has showcased his mettle to get accustomed to bowling to different surfaces as well. With all tools and ingredients in his repertoire, it is fair to say that he is the most complete bowler in the current era.
9. Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn was best known to pose serious threats to batters with his raw pace. He could even swing the ball both ways with the new ball, making him a nightmare to the batters in the early overs.
He became one of the best bowlers during the playing days of his career, courtesy of his consistency and the control over his line and length. His potential to bowl searing yorkers with precision often paved the way for clean bowled or leg before wicket dismissals.
10. Brett Lee
Brett Lee was one of the fastest bowlers in the history of the sport. The batters struggled to pick his deliveries because of his raw pace, which gave the batters just a little time to react.
Australian cricket team immensely benefitted from his services. In high-pressure situations, he bowled toe-crushing yorkers and helped the team churn out results in their favour.
Read more: 10 Greatest Australian All-Rounders Of All Time
