COURTNEY WALSH: Express delivery men

To me, Malcolm was the complete fast bowler. He was not as tall as a lot of us, but he had lots of pace and could swing and seam the ball both ways. This made him very dangerous.

In his 136 games he took 157 wickets at an average of just under 27. But when you look at his economy rate of 3.53 and his strike rate of 45.7, you know he was special. What he lacked in height he made up with courage and will.

Glenn McGrath

In my books, one of the most accurate and consistent fast bowlers to ever play this format. He led the Australia attack for a long time, playing in 250 ODIs and taking 381 wickets, just one more than Brett Lee. This is how Glenn was; very competitive and he wanted to be the best at whatever he was doing. His spell of 7-15 was his best return with an average of 22.02, while his economy rate was under four runs per over. He used to surprise batsmen with the extra pace he could generate.

Andy Roberts

Although Andy only played 56 ODIs, with two World Cup medals, I wonder what he would have achieved had he had the opportunity to play more, or if he were around today. He had pace and, to me, was the ultimate thinking fast bowler. He took 87 wickets with an average of 20.35 and economy rate of 3.40 and his strike rate was good too. Andy had genuine pace and it often felt like he could hit batsmen at will.

Wasim Akram

One of the most devastating left-arm fast bowlers in my time and one who I have lots of respect for. He was quite simply a genius. Wasim could gather pace from any surface, swing the ball both ways at high pace and had a terrific yorker. And of course, the reverse swing. His record explains itself, playing in 356 ODIs and picking up 502 wickets - he is still the second-highest wicket-taker ever in the format. To do it at an average of just 23.52, an economy rate of 3.89 and a very good strike rate as well was truly special. He would be a captain’s dream in any ODI side, capable of taking wickets and containing batsmen.

Waqar Younis

Last, but by no means least, the king of reverse swing, Waqar. He was very quick in his prime as well. Along with Wasim, Waqar made life very uncomfortable for batsmen. Having played 262 matches and taken 416 wickets at an average of under 24, including 14 four-wicket hauls and 13 five-wicket hauls, he was truly special. On his day, the Pakistan great was a genuine match-winner. Between them, the two Ws took over 900 ODI wickets. What a combination this was and it bears comparison with the partnership between Curtly Ambrose and myself.

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