5 Bowlers With The Most Unorthodox Bowling Actions

Unorthodox bowling actions have been difficult to control but can be very effective in any format and those bowlers have the ability to win matches on their own. Injuries are common for these sets of bowlers with unorthodox actions and it is very important for them to be managed properly by the team.

Their uniqueness among the bowlers keeps the batsmen guessing and they are not easy to face for the batsmen too. They are different from other bowlers with their jumps, strides, and run-ups too. It is time to look at 5 bowlers with the most unorthodox bowling actions.

5 Bowlers With The Most Unorthodox Bowling Actions:

Muttiah Muralidharan:

The Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralidharan was one of the greatest bowlers in the world and he was the first bowler in cricket history to pick up 800 wickets in 133 Tests at an average of 22.7. The off-spinner had a weird action that never showed the batsmen what he brings out in the hand.

Muralidharan’s action was always under the radar, and he was also very effective in ODI cricket to picking up 534 wickets in 35o games at an average of 23.1. His “dhoosra” was very effective as it spun in the opposite direction and he bowled at a good pace too. He is currently serving as a bowling coach in IPL for the Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Paul Adams:

The former South African spinner Paul Adams had one of the weirdest actions in international cricket. He played 45 tests and 24 ODIs for the proteas picking up 134 wickets and 29 wickets respectively in the formats. His left-arm spin was very effective for a decade time until 2004.

He also had some excellent stats in domestic cricket and his unique bowling action did have a lot of strain on his body. He had an unusual jump before getting to the crease and he could never see the areas where he delivered the ball until he completed his action.

Lasith Malinga:

Lasith Malinga is one of the most successful fast bowlers who had a very unique action commonly known as the slinger. It was very effective for him to execute his yorkers and he did generate a lot of pace too. The Sri Lankan cricketer has retired from ODIs and tests but could make it to the T20 Worldcup squad.

Malinga is one of the best bowlers in death overs and he keeps hitting the toe-crushing yorkers at good speeds with a little bit of reverse swing. He delivered the ball from the sidearm action rather than from the normal high arm action which made him unique and tough to play. He picked up 546 wickets in international cricket overall across formats.

Sohail Tanvir:

Sohail Tanvir was first seen in the 2007 T20 Worldcup where he was very effective with his unique left-arm action and he did bowl at good speeds too. He has become a T20 specialist and is playing franchise cricket across the globe. The 36-year-old has a weird action that isn’t easy for the batsmen to read.

Tanvir has picked up 130 wickets in international cricket and is looking to make a comeback into the Pakistan squad. He had a quick release from a high arm and he kept his non-bowling hand behind the bowling hand which was very unique for a bowler. He did reap a lot of benefits though and he had a natural outswinger for the right-handed batsman.

Jasprit Bumrah:

Jasprit Bumrah has been leading the Indian pace attack for years now and he is one of the best bowlers in the world with a lot of impact in all formats. Bumrah has a weird action that helped him to generate good speeds with a shorter run-up and he was very consistent in hitting the right lengths.

He has transformed into an excellent bowler in the death overs later and he has been destroying the batting lineups in the world. He extracts a lot from hitting the seam into the pitch and he released from a relatively high arm position. He puts a lot of pressure on his front knees while bowling.