Arthur Crabtree wrote:Intimidating pace is probably the most mythic part of the game. Maybe because fear is such a primal emotion. Pacemen are monsters, they hurt you. I'm talking about Lillee and Thomson, the 80s WI pace quartet, Alan Donald, Shoaib Akhtar. Mitch Johnson shattered a pretty decent England XI to the degree that they didn't want to go out and face him. Not sure there is that sort of 98mph pace in the game anymore. My impression is everyone recognises that isn't sustainable. 88-90mph isn't scary pace, though it might be useful allied with other skills
Its impossible to have these discussions, because different standards exist for different eras. You end up with the classic "trust me bruv, I was there" argument put against fact. All those 70s-80s top quickest were measured scientifically in comparable technological setups to now - none of them bowled a quicker ball than Archer's 93.8 mph ball in the last 24 hours, and all but Thomson managed a speed that has not been exceeded by every single bowler in this series bar Chris Woakes. Other studies are quoted all the time in various histories, all are absent in their method and evidence, or can be totally disregarded for their inaccuracies - the response has always been Typhoon Tyson claiming they made him wear 4 jumpers, or both Thomson and Lillee claiming he was ill everytime a speed gun was put near him. I guess we have to laugh when people claim Thomson could hit the sightscreen on the full after it bounced - not even Brett Lee bowling at full pace got near that, so its entirely urban myth.
I'd hazard a bet that pace is at its highest its ever been. Tait registered 160kmh post Lee/Akhtar. Wood managed nearly 99mph last summer. Lockie Ferguson went 97 a few months ago. Nortje has registered over 95-96 so many times its no longer noteworthy.
The Lee's and Akthar's didn't always bowl 100mph every game either. These are generationally fast balls they managed once in a career. They both generally bowled in the high 80s/lower 90s over tests.
