Top 5 fast bowling all-rounders in world cricket right now
Fast bowling all-rounders are premium assets of cricket. They are the rarest commodity in any format of the game. They give all the options that a team needs for success.
All-rounders are worth their weight in gold in all formats of the game. They play a vital role by giving the side some much-needed balance and extra options if needed.
Often in limited overs cricket, the fifth bowler becomes an area of concern for teams, and having one or two good all-rounders in the team can solve this problem. A strong performer coming in at No. 6 or 7 in the batting order can also work wonders for a team.
As modern cricket game grows, players are pushed to become more multi-dimensional. A tall fast bowler who can bat, or a batsman who can clock the 130kmph mark on a consistent basis, is really a go-to man in all formats of the game. He can bowl 10 overs on the trot in Test cricket when your premier fast bowlers are tired. Alternatively, he can come in to bat if the side is in trouble and bail them out with a quickfire 50.
Let us have a peek at the top-5 fast bowling all-rounders at the moment in world cricket.
#5. Chris Woakes
The 6ft tall fast bowling all-rounder plays for the England team in all three formats of the game. He is 29 years old and has played an enormous amount of cricket (135 first class matches) for his county side Warwickshire.
Woakes has scored 5,342 first class runs at a healthy average of 34.91 with 9 centuries and 22 fifties to his name. He has continued to showcase his batting ability on the international scene, averaging nearly 28 in both Tests and ODIs with four fifties down the order and a highest score of 95 not out.
No one can doubt his bowling ability as he has the ability to clock the 140kmph mark consistently; he is one of England's premier fast bowlers in all formats.
Tests
Matches: 24, Runs: 863, Batting average: 27.83, Highest Score: 66, Wickets: 64, Bowling Average: 34.45, BBI: 6/70
ODIs
Matches: 76, Runs: 1034, Batting average: 27.94, Highest Score: 95*, Wickets: 109, Bowling Average: 30.77 , BBI: 6/45