10 Test Bowlers Who Have Been the Biggest Climbers in 2015
It seems that 2015 has been the year of bowlers making a comeback. There were a few notable players (Amit Mishra, Devendra Bishoo and Harbhajan Singh) who were not in the rankings at the start of the year but now all feature in the top 30.
These players were omitted for this list but are worth mentioning. It’s also worth noting that only two bowlers in the top 10 made significant gains: Stuart Broad went from 8th to 2nd and Trent Boult from 7th to 3rd.
As with the batting climbers rankings, the first ranking is taken from 1 January 2015 and the second from the date of writing (20 September 2015).
10. Mark Craig, 14 Places from 52 to 38
1 of 10
Mark Craig has played just three Tests this year and has 12 wickets to show for it, including best figures of five for 108 against England.
His average of 33.50 is slightly on the high side, but he does have a decent economy rate of 2.89. A good performance against a high-ranking England team has given him a boost.
9. Wahab Riaz, 15 Places from 61 to 46
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Like Mark Craig, Wahab Riaz has only played a few Tests this year. Riaz has taken 12 wickets in the four matches he has played with best figures of five for 120.
His average (31.50) and economy rate (3.07) are both in the higher end of the scale, but he was impressive during Pakistan's recent tour to Sri Lanka.
8. Imran Khan 16 Places from 72 to 56 out of All the Players on the List, Imran
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Out of all the players on the list, Imran Khan played the fewest number of Tests. He featured in just two matches and took seven wickets.
Khan has played just five Tests for Pakistan and so far has in no way shown any resemblance in his bowling to that of his namesake.
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7. Mitchell Starc, 19 Places from 38 to 19
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Mitchell Starc has had a very impressive year so far and has grown in stature as a Test bowler. In the eight Tests he's played, he has taken 33 wickets, joint third-most for 2015 so far.
With best figures of seven for 174, an average of 25.78 and economy rate of 3.35, it's easy to see why Starc is climbing up the rankings.
6. Yasir Shah, 20 Places from 24 to 4
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Yasir Shah is the only player to make it into the top 10 who was outside of it at the start of the year. In just five Tests this year, he has taken 34 wickets with best figures of nine for 155.
Add to that an average of 23.64 and an economy rate of 2.96, and you can see why this spinner is being touted as the next best thing for Pakistan cricket.
5. Nuwan Pradeep, 32 Places from 89 to 57
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Nuwan Pradeep has taken 20 wickets in the five Tests he has played for Sri Lanka this year. His most impressive effort came away from home against New Zealand at the start of the year where he took seven for 180.
Sri Lanka have been on the wrong end of some bad results recently, but Pradeep has been impressive in parts.
4. Josh Hazlewood, 34 Places from 49 to 15
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Australia's new crop of fast bowlers are starting to emerge, and Josh Hazlewood is certainly one of them.
He has 31 wickets in seven Tests in 2015, but it's his ability to keep things tidy that has been most impressive. He boasts an average of 19.77 in the Tests he has played this year and has an economy rate of 2.85 to boot.
3. Dhammika Prasad, 35 Places from 57 to 22
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Dhammika Prasad has by far been Sri Lanka's most impressive bowler this year. While the spinners haven't flourished like one might expect them to, Prasad has led the way with 32 wickets at an average of 27.65 in the seven Tests he has played this year.
He's speedy and aggressive and never backs down from a challenge.
2. Jerome Taylor: 30 Places from 54 to 24
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The West Indies fast bowling isn't what it used to be, but Jerome Taylor seems to have found his mojo in the twilight of his career.
With 20 wickets at an average of 23.30 in five Tests, Taylor has been a crucial cog in the Windies attack this year.
1. Jason Holder, 38 Places from 91 to 53
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Jason Holder is being tipped as one of the best cricketers to come out of the Caribbean in the last decade. In six Tests, he has taken 13 wickets, and although they came at a high average of 36.38, they came against the likes of South Africa, England and Australia.
His five for 49 against England in Bridgetown was by far his most impressive spell of the year, and if the Windies can keep him from being lured away with the riches of T20 leagues, he will be a legend.
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