- July 14, 2025
When you ask any batter what discomforts them most, more often than not, they will say a lively, left-arm quickie. There’s just something about that line across the right-hander, or that hooping inswinger, which has even the best-looking unsure. If we talk about left-arm quicks in the 21st century, there have been a few left-handers who have stood out during that time to terrorize batting orders around the globe. As Mitchell Starc prepares to play his 100th Test, it seems like an appropriate time to revisit and rank the five best left-arm pacers of this century.
The Starc Show: The Ultimate Left-Arm Package
When it comes to left-arm fast bowling, there is one name that stands taller than any other, and that is Mitchell Starc. He has taken 395 wickets from 99 Tests at an average of 27.39, which is amazing, but numbers only tell a small part of the story. What stands out with Starc is his serious pace and unplayable swing, especially when the ball is new or with the lights on.
Starc’s consistency is remarkable – his average barely changed at home or away. No chance of playing second fiddle to others, or just being a new-ball bowler. Does anyone remember the 6-48, during the obliteration of India in Adelaide in 2024? Even at 35 years of age, Starc is still skidding through the air in the mid-140s and doing a fine job of knocking over stumps. Even we bowlers measure our success by what he does.
He’s the gold standard, and if he keeps up this form, 500 wickets aren’t far off.
The Power of Impact: Why Johnson and Zaheer Still Stand Tall
Mitchell Johnson — where do we even begin? When in rhythm, Johnson was less a bowler, more a storm. That Ashes 2013-14 series still gives English batters nightmares. He may have been erratic, but his peak was so menacing that even tailenders refused singles to avoid facing him. In 73 Tests, his 313 wickets at 28.40, with 12 five-fers, don’t fully capture the fear factor he brought to the crease.
On the subcontinent side, India’s Zaheer Khan was the thinking man’s pacer. He may not have had raw pace, but his guile, reverse swing mastery, and big-match temperament made him invaluable. His 306 wickets in 90 Tests (average 32.84) may seem modest, but Zaheer’s knack for delivering when it mattered — think Nottingham 2007 — gave India its most balanced pace attack in years. Without him, India’s away wins in the 2000s might’ve looked very different.
Both Johnson and Zaheer had one thing in common — they changed games, not just bowled spells.
The Kiwi Kings: Boult and Wagner’s Grit & Grind
Any list of left-arm greats feels incomplete without a Kiwi touch — enter Trent Boult’s silky swing and Neil Wagner’s bruising bouncers. Boult was Southee’s partner from the first ball, and the movement looked so easy with Boult’s outswing looking as if it were art. Boult took 317 wickets at 27.49 in 78 Tests, and the man was effective in every place he played his trade.
And then there is Wagner — the insatiable workhorse. Wagner may not top the headlines, but his 260 wickets in 64 Tests at a sharp average of 27.57 are a testament to his grit — a relentless enforcer who made bruising bouncers his signature weapon. He will bowl bouncers for an eternity to get a breakthrough, breaking down the resolve of set batters. His 7-39 against the West Indies is an example of attritional bowling and short-bowling in its finest form.
Together, Boult and Wagner exemplify the modern Test bowler: adaptable, gritty, and reliable.
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