Why Craddock thinks Bumrah could end up rated as the “greatest fast bowler of all time”

Could India superstar Jasprit Bumrah end up being rated as the greatest fast bowler of all time? Veteran cricket journalist Robert Craddock certainly thinks it’s a possibility.

The right-armer destroyed Australia in the first Test win in Perth, taking a combined 8/72 across both innings which earned him Player of the Match honours all while stepping in as captain with Rohit Sharma unavailable.

As things stand, Bumrah has taken 181 Test wickets at an average of 20.06. The 30-year-old is also a remarkable white-ball bowler with 149 ODI wickets at 23.55 and 89 T20I wickets at 17.74.

While Craddock currently believes that West Indies legend Malcolm Marshall has the best case as the greatest quick ever with 376 Test wickets at 20.94, he thinks that Bumrah is on his heels if he continues performing at the top level.

“Well, I think that there is a chance he could be rated the greatest fast bowler of all time,” Craddock told SEN Sportsday NSW.

“I say that because his bowling average is 20 and that's as good as it gets as a fast bowler. 

“Generally speaking, I reckon if you put everyone's opinion and every statistic in a computer and said, ‘Which name does it spit out for the greatest fast bowler of all time?’, number one would be Malcolm Marshall of the West Indies and number two would be Wasim Akram from Pakistan.

“Now, Marshall averaged 20 runs per wicket, just like Bumrah, but Bumrah bowls in India where fast bowlers aren't supposed to take wickets and he averages 20 per wicket. 

“He averages 17 per wicket in India and less than 21 on the road, it’s incredible.”

If Bumrah, who made his Test debut in 2016, continues performing for another half decade at the top level, Craddock thinks that Bumrah’s case could end up being the easiest to argue amongst other all-time great quicks.

“He's played 41 Tests which is a fair body of evidence - it’s not 10 or 20 Tests - that’s a solid amount,” Craddock said.

“If he keeps up that bowling average in 10 years’ time and if we're having a debate on who's the best fast bowler of all time and I've got to argue Bumrah’s case, I reckon I can shoot down every other argument.

“If you throw a name at me, I’ll tell you why this guy's better … and maybe he doesn't get there or maybe he gets worse. 

“But my oh my, he's had three really good tours of Australia and Australia's a hard place to tour, it destroys fast bowlers, you know.”

Bumrah will hope to keep up his stunning form when India faces Australia in the second Test at the Adelaide Oval.

Watch the SEN Cricket calls of ALL of Bumrah’s wickets from the Perth Test here.