- August 14, 2025
It is quite the illusion to watch a young fast bowler destroy an opposition batting order. The pace, the swing, the fire in their eyes – the ‘How is he doing that at that age?!’ reaction from the crowd; every once in a while, it takes a beefy teenager or twenty-something pace bowler to come onto the international stage and make a statement to the cricketing public. Recently, Kwena Maphaka has joined that club. And it is quite astounding who he shares this list with.
1. Kwena Maphaka – Teen Pace Prodigy Redefining South Africa’s Fast Bowling Future
If you didn’t know his name before August 10, 2025, you do now. Playing against Australia in Darwin, Maphaka bowled like a man who didn’t care about reputations — only wickets. His 4-20 included cleaning up Mitchell Owen, sending Ben Dwarshuis packing, ending Tim David’s blistering 83, and dismissing Adam Zampa for good measure. But records are not interested in match results — records are interested in moments. If this is how he bowls at 19 years old, what can a team expect from him at 25?
2. Wayne Parnell – The Left-Arm Lion (19y 318d)
Before Maphaka, the youngest pace record belonged to another Protea left-armer, Wayne Parnell. Back in the 2009 T20 World Cup, he ran through West Indies with a ridiculous 4-13 at The Oval. His victims included Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle (yes, that Gayle), Kieron Pollard, and Jerome Taylor.
What made Parnell’s spell special wasn’t just the wickets — it was the context. Defending 184 against a powerhouse Windies batting lineup, he delivered a dream start, and South Africa won by 20 runs. It was aggressive, fearless bowling from a teenager on the world stage.
3. Mohammad Wasim – Pakistan’s Young Yorker Assassin on the Rise
There is typically a common ground when the fast bowler from Pakistan is produced: raw pace, swagger, and a deadly yorker. Mohammad Wasim delivered all three in December 2021 against the West Indies in Karachi. Yes, his 4-40 may look expensive, but all four wickets were momentum shifters.
Nicholas Pooran was cleaned up with a toe-crusher, Devon Thomas trapped LBW, Romario Shepherd was undone by another yorker, and Oshane Thomas ended the innings. Pakistan won by a massive 63 runs, and Wasim walked away with a performance that showed why he’s one to watch in the years ahead.
4. Mustafizur Rahman – The Left-Armed Magician Who Confounds Batsmen with Every Delivery
Not all pace is about sheer speed — sometimes it’s about deception. Mustafizur Rahman’s 5-22 versus New Zealand in the 2016 T20 World Cup was a masterclass in off-cutters and changes of pace, which reduced top-class batters to look as if they were playing in slow-motion: Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, Grant Elliott, Mitchell Santner, and Nathan McCullum — all victims of the “Fizz.” While Bangladesh lost the game by 75 runs, Mustafizur Rahman’s spell is one of the most intelligent displays of left-arm pace in the history of T20 cricket.
FAQs:
1. Which cricketer became the youngest full-member player to snare four wickets in a T20I?
Maphaka notched this achievement as a 19-year-old, just 124 days into his 19th year.
2. Which bowler on this list took a five-wicket haul?
Mustafizur Rahman claimed 5-22 against New Zealand.
3. Which South African pacers appear in this top-five list?
Kwena Maphaka and Lungi Ngidi cut.
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