The T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia is less than a month away. The qualifying round before the Super 12 will kick off on October 16 and the Super 12 begins on October 22.
Aaron Finch’s team are the defending champions having won the tournament less than 12 months back in the UAE, and they will aim to become the first team to successfully defend their T20 title.
We are expecting the tournament to be more exciting than last year’s even in UAE where, in Dubai in particular, chasing proved successful and even big scores were gunned down comfortably. In Australia, though, with pace assisting pitches and the big ground giving spinners plenty to work with, bowlers will like conditions more than in UAE.
Today, we look at the 5 fastest bowlers who will be on show in the T20 World Cup 2022:
Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson missed last year’s T20 World Cup in UAE because of a last-minute injury, depriving New Zealand of a proper fast bowling option.
Playing for Gujarat Titans, Lockie Ferguson bowled the fastest delivery of IPL 2022, clocking at 157.3 kph. The 31-year-old isn’t known to swing or seam the ball much, but is amongst the best in the world to hurry the batters with his high pace and short deliveries.
In 21 T20Is for the Kiwis, Lockie Ferguson’s taken 32 wickets, bowling at a brilliant economy of 6.84. He will be New Zealand’s x-factor in the T20 World Cup 2022, and definetly one of the fastest bowelrs in the tournament.
Anrich Nortje
The fact that the Delhi Capitals retained Anrich Nortje over Kagiso Rabada this year is a tribute to the former’s ascent as a fast bowler in the last three of years. With aesthetics pretty much like Dale Steyn – raw pace, accurate lines, the bulging veins, the chain-saw celebration – Anrich Nortje is as quick as they come from the Proteas.
Having recovered slowly from a back stress fracture, Anrich Nortje returned with a bang during the tour of England. He’s set to storm in the T20 World Cup and clatter some stumps and rattle some batsmen.
Anrich Nortje, who has 23 wickets in 22 T20Is, forms a dangerous fast-bowling pair with Rabada. Nortje took 9 wickets in 5 matches at last year’s T20 WC. Norje will lit up the T20 World Cup 2022 with his lightning speed.
Mitchell Starc
Australia’s title defence in the T20 World Cup 2022, will once again hinge on their proud bowling attack led by left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc, who once recorded a top speed of 160 kph!
When on song, Mitchell Starc is one of the deadliest fast bowlers in the world. Although Mitchell Starc didn’t have a great T20 WC last year – 9 wickets in 7 matches while being expensive in leaking runs – in the UAE, where conditions didn’t offer him much – the 32-year-old will revel in his home conditions and will be a key factor deciding games for Australia.
Mark Wood
In Jofra Archer’s, Mark Wood will once again be England’s fastest bowler in the showpiece T20 even as he was last year in the UAE, where, though, he had a poor tournament – going wicketless in both the matches he played in while leaking at over 10 runs per over.
And even though Wood hasn’t played a single T20 match this entire year so far, owing to injury and rest, the 32-year-old, who can clock over 150 kph, will have a significant role to play for England, who were knocked out in the semi-final stage last year.
Dushmantha Chameera
After missing the Asia Cup 2022 because of a calf injury, Dushmantha Chameera is expected to be fit in time for the T20 World Cup 2022 next month, where Sri Lanka will begin their campaign with the qualifying round.
It is quite a confidence-booster for the Lankans that they won the Asia Cup even without the services of their fast bowler, Dushmantha Chameera, who regularly hits the 145 kph mark with his smooth, repeatable action; with his abilities to swing the ball the new ball at such high pace, Chameera is a menace to face for any batter, as Rohit Sharma, who’s been dismissed 6 times by Chameera in T20s will testify to it.
