25 Best Test Bowlers in Cricket History (As Per ICC Ratings)

Bill Johnston

25th among the best Test bowlers of all-time (based on ICC ratings) is Australian William 'Bill' Johnston, who played for the national team from 1947 to 1955, during which he featured in a total of 40 Tests. Having scalped 160 wickets throughout his international career, Johnston achieved a career-best rating of 900 points.

Clarrie Grimmett

Former New Zealand-born Australian cricketer Clarence Grimmett was recognized as the finest spin bowlers of his time, and is known to be the inventor of the 'flipper'. Grimmet played from 1925 to 1836, during which he achieved a career-best rating of 901 points.

Kagiso Rabada

South African right-arm pacer Kagiso Rabada is among the very few modern-day active players on this list, with the 30-year-old being the youngest bowler to take 150 wickets in the longest format of the game. The former World No. 1 pacer achieved a career-best ICC rating of 902 points.

James Anderson

The all-time third highest Test wicket-taker, James Anderson also holds the additional record for the most wickets taken by a fast bowler in red-ball cricket. The former England international, who only retired last year, achieved a career-best rating of 903 points.

Alec Bedser

Widely regarded as one the best English cricketers of the 20th century, Sir Alec Bedser played for the Three Lions in red-ball cricket from 1946 to 1955. Bedser achieved a career-best rating of 903 points, and took over 1,900 wickets in first-class cricket.

R Ashwin

India's second-highest wicket-taker of all time behind Anil Kumble, former spin-bowling all-rounder Ravinchandran Ashwin held onto the number 1 spot on the ICC Test Bowling Rankings for a significant period of time. Ashwin retired only a few months ago, and had achieved a career-best rating of 904 points.

Shane Warne

One of the greatest spinners of all time, ex-Australian icon Shane Warne occupies the second position on the list of players with the highest number of wickets in international cricket history. The Australian legend, who passed away in 2022 at the age of just 52, achieved a career-best rating of 905 points.

Derek Underwood

Former English spinner, Derek Underwood was nicknamed 'Deadly' among his peers and rivals. Having played for the Three Lions from 1966 to 1982, Underwood achieved a career-best rating of 907 points, while also picking 297 wickets in the longest format internationally.

Alan Davidson

A left-handed all-rounder, who was not just a great fast-bowler, but also a lower-order aggressor, Alan Keith Davidson played for the Australian national team from 1953 to 1963, featuring in 44 Test matches. He achieved a career-best rating of 908 points.

Jasprit Bumrah

Currently ranked the world no. 1 Test bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is the highest-ranked Indian player to occupy a spot on this elite list. The 31-year-old, who is currently playing for the Men in Blue at the 2025 Asia Cup, achieved a career-best Test rating of 908 points.

Waqar Younis

Hailed as one of the greatest bowlers of all time and a member of the Pakistani squad that finished runners-up at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, Waqar Younis played 87 Test matches from 1989 to 2003. He achieved a career-best rating of 909 points, which is the second-highest among players from his country.

Dale Steyn

South African legend Dale Steyn's ability to produce late swing from high pace, which made him a lethal bowler, is well-regarded by cricket fans around the world. The 2008 ICC Test Cricketer of the Year, Steyn achieved a career-best rating of 909 points.

Shaun Pollock

Ahead of Dale Steyn is another South African bowling icon, who captained the national team across all formats of the game. Shaun Pollock formed a deadly pairing along with Allan Donald from 1995 to the early 2000s, and achieved a career-best rating of 909 points.

Richard Hadlee

The only player from New Zealand to occupy a spot on this elite list is Richard Hadlee, who is very often regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in international cricket history. A superb fast bowler during his time, Hadlee achieved a career-best rating of 909 points as well.

Malcolm Marshall

Often acknowledged as the greatest West Indies bowler of all time, Malcolm Marshall's Test bowling average of 20,.94 is the second best for a bowler who has claimed over 200 wickets in the format. Marshall achieved a career-best ICC rating of 910 points, in his career.

Ian Botham

The no. 10 spot on this list of bowlers with the highest-ever ICC rating is occupied by English cricket icon Ian Terence Botham. Hailed as one of the finest all-rounders of all time, Botham played over 100 Tests for the Three Lions, and achieved a career-best rating of 911 points.

Vernon Philander

Having retired only a few years ago in 2020, Vernon Philander is the highest ranked South African player to occupy a spot on this list. The former Proteas all-rounder achieved a career-best ICC rating of 912 points, having played just 64 Test matches throughout his career.

Tony Lock

Former England international and an ace left-arm spinner, Tony Lock played 49 Test matches for the Three Lions throughout his career, scalping 174 wickets at an average of 25.58. Lock achieved a career-best rating of 912 points.

Curtly Ambrose

West Indies bowling icon Curtly Ambrose, throughout his international career that last over a decade, topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of the time, with 405 wickets in just 98 Test matches. Ambrose achieved a career-best rating of 912 points.

Pat Cummins

The highest-ranked active player on this list is Australian skipper Pat Cummins, who led his national team to World Cup glory in 2023. Having captained his team to the most recent World Test Championship final, Cummins achieved a career-best ICC rating of 914 points.

Glenn McGrath

Level on points with Pat Cummins is countryman Glenn McGrath, who is easily recognized as the greatest fast bowler of all time. A member of Australia's three World Cup winning side, McGrath achieved a career-best rating of 914 points.

Muttiah Muralidharan

The all-time highest wicket-taker in international cricket history, Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralidharan is often regarded as the greatest spinner of all time. He is the only bowler to have scalped over 800 Test wickets, and achieved a career-best rating of 920 points.

Imran Khan

Ex-Pakistani World Cup winning captain and legendary all-rounder Imran Khan occupies the third spot on this list. Khan played for the Pakistani national team from 1971 to 1992, featuring in 88 Test matches, and achieved a career-best rating of 922 points.

George Lohmann

Statistically, English cricketing icon George Lohmann had the best Test bowling average of all time, at 10.75, having picked up 62 wickets in just 18 matches throughout his career. Lohmann played from 1886 to 1896, and achieved a career-best rating of 931 points.

Sydney Barnes

Ranked no. 1 on this list another Englishman, Sydney Barnes, who played 27 Test matches from 1901 to 1914. The former England icon could bowl both right-arm fast medium and right-arm leg spin, and achieved a career-best rating of 932 points.