Aakash Chopra picks the best yorker bowlers, includes 2 Indians among 3 active international players

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra has picked the best yorker bowlers in the world. The renowned commentator picked legendary bowlers like Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Lasith Malinga, Mohammed Shami, Andrew Flintoff and Jasprit Bumrah in the list. Malinga is regarded as one of the best fast bowlers of all time and played a key role in success of Sri Lankan cricket.

Malinga was known to nail his yorkers in the death overs and often bamboozled the opposition batters with a slower yorker.

“You cannot go far from him in modern-day cricket. You cannot look at anyone else apart from him. He made practicing yorkers by keeping shoes popular – Lasith Malinga. Lasith Malinga was an absolute beast. His yorkers were different because they came with a lower trajectory. He was a genius. He also had a slower yorker,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

The reputed commentator picked the Pakistan duo of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, who were known for their inswinging yorkers.

“Then I remember someone who used to come running from far. He too had a slight round-arm action. Just watching him run was a delight. Sometimes with the new ball as well but he was absolutely lethal with the old ball. The bowler’s name is Waqar Younis. His rhythm was worth watching,” Chopra elaborated.

“After that, I am thinking Wasim bhai. He is among the two Ws – Waqar and Wasim, and Wasim was different. He firstly used to change the angles a lot, bowl over and around the stumps, with a slight round-arm action or high-action as per his wish. Wasim Akram was that complete bowler who used to behold,” he added.

Chopra picked India’s gun fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as the best yorker bowler among the active players. Bumrah is always right on the money with his yorkers and his execution is nigh perfect.

“That brings me to a white-ball and red-ball genius. He is also an absolute beast. He is our pride – Boom Boom Bumrah. What a bowler. The yorker he bowled to Ollie Pope, you can keep watching it on loop. Ollie Pope had no hope. The ball came in as a bullet and hit the stumps. He has bowled many yorkers like that,” he stated.

Chopra also said Andrew Flintoff’s yorkers also impressed him a lot, especially in the 2005 Ashes series against Australia.

“After that, there will be a little debate. There could be personal preferences. I am just throwing some names. I used to like Andrew Flintoff’s yorkers a lot, especially in the 2005 Ashes where the ball was reverse swinging a lot. He had a slightly different open-body, high-arm action but very quick in the air,” he said.