The list of best strike rates among bowlers with a minimum of 150 wickets in test cricket includes two South Africans and two Pakistanis.
Kagiso Rabada - 41.1
In his test career between 2015 to date, Kagiso Rabada has bowled in 80 innings and has 200 wickets at 23.57. He has bowled at an economy rate of 3.36, a strike rate of 41.2 and has 9 5-wicket hauls to his name.
Rabada reached the 200 wicket milestone in test cricket in the first test match against Pakistan recently. He currently holds the best strike rate in list of all-time highest wicket takers.
Sydney Barnes - 41.6
England's Sydney Barnes was a hit in the yesteryear. His career lasted from 1901 to 1914. As matches were not that frequent in that period, he played just 27 matches but that was enough for the bowler to make an impact.
Barnes picked up 189 wickets in the period at a sensational average of 16.43 and a strike rate of 41.6. He bagged 24 5-wicket hauls and 7 10-wicket hauls from 50 innings.
Dale Steyn - 42.3
Dale Steyn's test career lasted between 2004 and 2019. He has 439 scalps from 93 matches at a strike rate of 42.3. Steyn bowled at an average of 22.95 and picked up 26 5-wicket hauls and 5-10 wicket hauls in his career.
Waqar Younis - 43.4
Waqar Younis is the second highest wicket taker in test cricket for Pakistan and was an active test player between 1989 and 2003. He played 87 matches and picked up 373 wickets at an average of 23.56 and a strike rate of 43.4. Younis pocketed 22 5-wicket hauls from 154 innings.
Shoaib Akhtar - 45.7
If only Shoaib Akhtar had played a few more test matches, one can only imagine where he would have ended up in the pantheon of legendary fast bowlers. Akhtar's test career spanned from 1997 to 2007.
In the decade, he played 46 tests and picked up 178 wickets at an average of 25.69 and a strike rate of 45.7. For someone who was always struggling with his fitness, to end up among the top 5 bowlers with best strike rates in the history of test cricket is indeed a commendable job.
Akhtar could only play 46 test matches as more than half of the time, he was nursing injuries. But when he did play, he was a daunting prospect for batsmen, and that shows in his strike rate of 45.7. Akhtar bagged 12 5-wicket hauls and 2 10-wicket hauls with the best of 6/11 and has a career economy rate of 3.37.
