Swing is a bowling technique where bowlers make the ball deviate in the air, both before and after pitching. This type of deviation makes life difficult for a batter and gives a great chance for the bowler to pocket the wicket of the latter.
Hence, the swing is considered a major weapon for the pacers, and bowlers possessing the ability to generate this kind of deviation regularly are a useful addition to the team. Apart from the required skills (seam position, wrist position, and release) and practice to master swing bowling, one needs conditions in their favour to make the ball talk.
What are the types of swing bowling?
There are two major types of swing bowling: conventional and reverse. While conventional swings work with the new ball, where the fielding team will look to keep the shine on the ball to enable it to move both ways, reverse swing is possible with the older ball. A bowler will be able to do two things: in-swing and out-swing.
In both cases, a bowler’s ability plays a key role in making the ball swing, as well as the pitch and climatic conditions.
For instance, conventional swing is conducive when the overhead conditions are overcast or humid, with the pitch containing a bit of moisture coupled with a tinge of greenness. Also, the bowler needs to bowl at moderate speeds to achieve swing.
On the contrary, reverse swing takes place when the pitch is rough and the bowler must bowl at a high pace. Here, one side of the ball must be roughed up while the other side should be shinier, as this makes the ball move towards the lighter side. Handling reverse swing on the batters is tough as it becomes unpredictable and can be tricky. (For a detailed explanation, you can read our article on the types of swing bowling here.)
So, with these above traits, many pacers have succeeded in terms of troubling the batters and picking a truckload of wickets. Here are some of the best exponents of swing bowlers in modern cricket.
Wasim Akram
Known as the Sultan of Swing, Wasim Akram was lethal with both old and new cherries on any pitch and in any condition. He bamboozled batters with his immense ability to swing the ball in both directions at a great pace.
Wasim was fantastic with the conventional swing, but he can be credited for being one of the first bowlers to do reverse swing.
The left-arm pacer picked a whopping 916 wickets in his international career, which spanned across 460 matches. He was a true match-winner for the Pakistan side during his hay days and tested the best of batters with his sheer swing.
Dale Steyn
One of the finest pacers in the world, Dale Steyn, had the ability to swing the ball both ways at a tremendous pace. Steyn had an impeccable seam and wrist position, which made him lethal on any kind of surface.
In just 93 Tests, the pacer picked up 439 wickets at a sensational average of 22.95 and finished just 1 shy of the 700-wicket mark in international cricket.
James Anderson
The only pacer in the world to beach the 700-wicket landmark in Tests, James Anderson had an incredible career. Though not possessing as much pace as Steyn, on conditions that offered something for the pacers, Anderson was always a handful.
He had all the tricks up his sleeve when it came to swing bowling, and discipline can be termed his key to success. He finished with 991 wickets in international cricket and was the highest wicket-taker among pacers.
Glenn McGrath
The Australian pace great was a bowler known for bowling accurate lines and lengths and generating an appreciable swing with the ball. McGrath picked a whopping 949 wickets at a stunning average of 21.76 in 376 matches across different formats.
Being a steady bowler without much pace, McGrath rarely went for runs and this helped him in nipping out batters with great balls consistently.
Trent Boult
Trent Boult can be regarded as one of the finest quick bowlers to emerge from New Zealand. He can swing the new ball in both ways at a decent pace. With his movement, he troubled even the best of batters and still continues to do so at the fag end of his career.
The Kiwi pacer has picked 611 international wickets across formats at an astounding average of 25.60 in 253 games.
Stuart Broad
James Anderson’s long-time opening partner with the ball, especially Tests, Stuart Board had created a name for himself. Like the former, the right-arm pacer was also strong in his trade and could make the ball talk.
He would get a great deal of swing on helpful surfaces and was a true match-winner for his side. In all, Broad picked 847 wickets with 21 five-wicket hauls in 344 international matches for England.
Zaheer Khan
Like Wasim Akram, Zaheer was another pacer who used reverse swing to great effect. The Indian pace bowling legend was also great with the new ball and spearheaded the bowling attack for a long time.
He picked up 610 wickets in 309 games across formats, which is decent considering he played most of his cricket on spin-friendly subcontinent tracks.
Mitchell Starc
Starc is an out-and-out pacer who has an immense ability to swing the ball at a higher pace. He regularly troubles batters with the new ball in all formats of the game.
Still playing for Australia with a continued amount of success, Starc has picked up 675 international wickets from just 275 matches, with 23 occasions of capturing 5 or more wickets in an innings.
Chaminda Vaas
One of the most underrated left-arm pacers, Chaminda Vaas had a stellar career for Sri Lanka. He was a potent weapon for the national team in all formats and much of his success was achieved thanks to his ability with the new ball.
He would invariably pick up wickets for Lanka with the new ball, and his 8/19 in an ODI innings is still the best for any bowler in the format.
Tim Southee
Another New Zealand pacer makes it to the list, and he is their current Test skipper, Tim Southee. The right-arm pacer has accounted for 765 wickets in a career spanning over 16 years and with 164 wickets, he is the highest wicket-taker in the T20I format.
