Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has stirred debate in the cricketing world after naming Jasprit Bumrah as the greatest fast bowler of all time. In a video shared by ESPNcricinfo, the former Proteas skipper was asked to pick a bowler superior to Bumrah from a star-studded list featuring legendary names like Wasim Akram, Dale Steyn, Glenn McGrath, Lasith Malinga, and James Anderson. However, Du Plessis refused to replace Bumrah with any of them.
“I’m going to stay with Bumrah,” Faf du Plessis said confidently. When asked if there was any bowler he would pick ahead of the Indian pace spearhead, his answer was simple and firm: “No.”
Explaining his choice, Du Plessis pointed to the modern demands of cricket, especially in the shortest format. According to him, comparing past legends with today’s bowlers can be tricky because many of the greats never played T20 cricket.
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“Bumrah is the greatest because the greats of the game didn’t play T20. So it’s difficult to judge them against someone who’s so effective in T20,” Faf du Plessis explained. He did acknowledge the brilliance of legends like Wasim Akram, particularly his devastating yorkers at the death. However, Du Plessis also highlighted how conditions have changed over time. “The ball used to reverse swing a lot more back in the day. It’s not swinging as much now. So Bumrah is my number one,” he added.
Since making his international debut for India against Australia in an ODI in Sydney on January 23, 2016, Bumrah has built an extraordinary record across formats. The right-arm pacer has taken 497 wickets in 233 international matches, including 234 in Tests, 149 in ODIs, and 114 in T20Is.
His dominance was evident during the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he claimed 15 wickets and was named Player of the Tournament. That same year, Bumrah also finished as the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket and won the prestigious ICC Cricketer of the Year and ICC Test Cricketer of the Year honours.
At the franchise level, Bumrah remains a cornerstone for the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, where he has taken 183 wickets in 145 matches.
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Currently representing India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, Bumrah is on the verge of another historic milestone. If he picks up at least three wickets in India’s upcoming Super 8 clash at Eden Gardens, he will become only the fourth Indian fast bowler after Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, and Zaheer Khan to reach the remarkable 500-wicket mark in international cricket.
