5 Players Who Can Break Shoaib Akhtar’s Record of Fastest Ball

Shoaib Akhtar (L) and Mark Wood (R) (Source: AFP)The former fearsome Pakistan pacer, Shoaib Akhtar, achieved a feat that is still a dream for the pacers even after 23 years. It was a peak summer afternoon in Cape Town on February 22, 2003, when England opted to bat first against Pakistan in the 23rd match of the ODI World Cup 2003. Cut to the next scene, the English opener Nick Knight was facing Shoaib Akhtar in the fourth over of the innings, and what happened on the last ball of the over was etched in the history books of cricket. Akhtar bowled a fuller length delivery on Knight’s legs, and the latter somehow defended it. The speed of the ball was recorded at over 100 mph (161.3 kph), the fastest ever delivery in the history of cricket. The record is still unbroken after more than two decades. However, a few of the currently active bowlers have the potential to reach this mark. That said, here, we’ll have a look at the 5 players who can break Shoaib Akhtar’s record of the fastest ball. 5 players who can break Shoaib Akhtar’s fastest-ball recordMark Wood - England The star England pacer, Mark Wood, is known for frequently crossing the speed of 150-155 kph. He also holds a unique record for his sensational speed in the T20 World Cup 2022 game against Afghanistan in Australia. In this game, he bowled all 24 balls across four overs of his spell at the speed of 140kph (87 mph. His average speed during this spell was 149 kph (92.6 mph), including his fastest delivery of 154 kph (96 mph) during this spell. With this spell, Mark Wood became the first bowler to bowl an entire spell over 140 kph in the T20I history. Considering his impact and potential in the limited-overs cricket, Wood is one of the top contenders to break Shoaib Akhtar’s record of the fastest ball. Anrich Nortje - South Africa The star South Africa speedster, Anrich Nortje, is also one of the fastest bowlers in modern-day cricket. He recorded the unplayable speed of 156.22 kph in IPL 2020 while playing for the Delhi Capitals. Besides that, he was the fourth leading wicket-taker in the tournament and the second leading wicket-taker for DC. Nortje is known for consistently maintaining his speed in the limited-overs cricket. He is also a part of South Africa’s plans for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026 in India. The 32-year-old Proteas pacer has a knack for crossing Akhtar’s fastest-ball mark in the upcoming prestigious cricket biennial. Lockie Ferguson - New Zealand Lockie Ferguson is undoubtedly one of the most dangerous elements in New Zealand’s pace attack. He is also included in the Blackcaps squad for the upcoming 10th edition of the T20 World Cup. Speaking of his speed, the Auckland-born pacer holds a unique record of becoming the first-ever pace bowler to bowl all four overs of his spell maiden in a T20I match. Notably, his average speed during this spell was between 140 and 150 kph. Ferguson achieved this feat against Papua New Guinea in the T20 World Cup 2024. He also scalped three wickets during this spell. Jofra Archer - England The Barbados-born English pacer, Jofra Archer, has left many batters injured owing to his lethal speed. On most of the occasions, he has maintained a brutal bowling speed up to 153.62 kph, with a smooth action. Being a part of England’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, Jofra Archer has a fair chance to break Shoaib Akhtar’s fastest-ball record if fitness doesn’t play a spoilsport in his path. Speaking of his career, Archer has scalped 65 ODI wickets in 36 innings, alongside claiming 44 T20I wickets in 35 innings. Besides that, he has 60 Test wickets in just 34 innings, including four five-wicket hauls. Mitchell Starc - Australia The veteran Australia quick, Mitchell Starc, is the only bowler among the currently active bowlers who reached very close to the record of Shoaib Akhtar’s fastest ball. The moment came almost 11 years ago, when Starc bowled a 160.4 kph delivery (99.7 mph), just 0.3 mph less than Akhtar’s fastest delivery. Starc could also break Akhtar’s record, considering his current form and fitness in the ODIs and Tests, as the veteran pacer has already parted ways with the shortest format of the game.