Aakash Chopra names 2 Pakistan pacers who aced the Yorker before Jasprit Bumrah

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has picked the bowlers with the best yorkers in modern-day cricket. Chopra included Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in this list and also included Pakistan greats, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis.

Apart from these genius bowlers, Aakash Chopra also named the yorker specialist Lasith Malinga as the best in the business. Malinga was probably the best exponent of death bowling during his time and had a lethal yorker which made him so difficult to score against.

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"Lasith Malinga was an absolute beast" - Aakash Chopra

While speaking in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra called Lasith Malinga "an absolute beast and claimed he was the master of this art.

Malinga had high-class variations which included a dipping slower ball and a dipping yorker as well.

"You cannot go far from him in modern-day cricket. You cannot look at anyone else apart from him. He made practicing yorkers by keeping shoes popular - Lasith Malinga. Lasith Malinga was an absolute beast.

His yorkers were different because they came with a lower trajectory. He was a genius. He also had a slower yorker," Chopra said.

Aakash Chopra names Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in his list

The former India opener then picked Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis who were brilliant with the old ball.

Both Wasim and Waqar are regarded as highly skilled fast bowlers who were masters of the art of reverse swing with the old ball. Both of them had lethal yorkers.

"Then I remember someone who used to come running from far. He too had a slight round-arm action. Just watching him run was a delight. Sometimes with the new ball as well but he was absolutely lethal with the old ball. The bowler's name is Waqar Younis. His rhythm was worth watching," Chopra explained.

"After that, I am thinking Wasim bhai. He is among the two Ws - Waqar and Wasim, and Wasim was different. He firstly used to change the angles a lot, bowl over and around the stumps, with a slight round-arm action or high-action as per his wish. Wasim Akram was that complete bowler who used to behold," he added.

Aakash Chopra picks Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami

When it comes to bowling yorkers, one cannot forget the name of Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has developed himself into a brilliant death bowler over the years with his ability to bowl lethal yorkers and well-disguised slower balls.

Chopra also mentioned Jasprit Bumrah in his video and claimed that the Indian fast bowler is an absolute beast.

He also mentioned the wicket of Ollie Pope during the India-England series earlier this year, which was a trademark Jasprit Bumrah wicket. Bumrah had bowled Pope with a perfect yorker in the second Test in Visakhapatnam in this match.

"That brings me to a white-ball and red-ball genius. He is also an absolute beast. He is our pride - Boom Boom Bumrah. What a bowler. The Yorker he bowled to Ollie Pope, you can keep watching it on a loop. Ollie Pope had no hope. The ball came in as a bullet and hit the stumps. He has bowled many yorkers like that," Chopra said in the video.

Bumrah recently played a key role in India's T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. The 30-year-old was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his brilliance throughout the T20 World Cup.

The cricketer-turned-commentator included Mohammed Shami in this list as well. Chopra remembered Shami's Test debut at Eden Gardens, where he picked up five wickets against West Indies with the help of reverse swing and yorkers.

"I also remember Mohammed Shami. He is so brilliant. If you can see his debut, it was against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens, he had taken a five-wicket haul, and the yorkers were hitting the stumps. I think he had taken five wickets against South Africa in their second innings on the fifth day in Vizag. There also he bowled excellent yorkers," he added.

Apart from these bowlers, Aakash Chopra also included some of the greats of the game like Andrew Flintoff, Dwayne Bravo, and Mitchell Starc in this list.

Currently, Jasprit Bumrah is probably the best yorker bowler in the world. Bumrah's accuracy and pace make him such a difficult bowler to face.

The right-arm fast bowler is not just a one-dimensional bowler as he has developed a brilliant slower ball as well.