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In a recent interview, Australian coach Darren Lehmann declared that ‘Mitchell Johnson’s bowling is the most dangerous he has seen.’
A statement that usually would be laughed off as bias, but after seeing the carnage that Johnson has wreaked, one has to at least consider it.
The left-arm quick has rediscovered his lethal past by keeping two objectives in mind: either hit the wicket or hit the batsman. Striving for finesse, as seen in his ability to swing to swing the ball, is secondary to a relentless blitzkrieg mentality
His pace, lefthanded release and slinging action already ensured his membership in the nasty fast bowlers club was secure. Reborn into a perfect setting with the current Aussie team having a high calibre attack that is highlighted by a nigh on perfect defensive aptitude. The other three offer the ideal support for Johnson to attack with no confines to his assaults.
If not for helmets and other space age protection it would not have surprised to see the last rites given to an unlucky batsman during Johnson’s present rampage.
This blood curdling realisation compels one to rank him among the other noted terrors.
Here are a few to ponder:
Jeff Thomson (Australia)
Arguably the fastest bowler ever, with a slinging action that ensured unpredictability with the ability to make a ball rear violently of a length. Throw in his homicidal mindset and he was the epitome of a widow maker.
Andy Roberts (West Indies)
Roberts ‘cold blooded killer’ eyes already gave batsmen the chills, and that was before one faced up to his deadly combination of awkwardness and bowling smarts. He was a bit like a cat stalking a mouse, always setting a batsman up, and then laying them out.
John Snow (England)
This maniacal quick was the epitome of unhinged. His unpredictability always had one on the edge, with any batsman knowing there was not a line in the sand that Snow would not defiantly cross.
Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
Such was this magnificent bowler’s threat that the ridiculous bouncer law was in response to the carnage that Marshall’s bumper was causing, especially how lethal it was when he bowled it from around the wicket.
Shoaib Ahktar (Pakistan)
The aptly named Rawalpindi Express is the only bowler to be clocked at over 100 mph. His sheer pace intimidated all, but he also had the quality of all the dangerous bowlers; his sincere unpredictability.
Just ask Gary Kirsten about the threat of his bouncer….
Patrick Patterson (West Indies)
This virtual Adonis gave batsmen the willies by his sheer physique.
Factor in his frightening pace and malevolent demeanour and one was forgiven for fearing for their very life.
Bob Willis (England)
This softly spoken, almost retiring character off the field had a real white line fever on it. That came out in his nastiness once you saw his hatred for batsmen that fuelled his desire to maim.
He was a master of the softener, the rib tickler that was the prelude to your demise. If one survived, he often rearranged your facial features with his brutal bouncer
Other notables:
Wes Hall, Michael Holding, Roy Gilchrist, Harold Larwood, Brett Schultz, Curtly Ambrose, Sylvester Clarke
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