Cricket is one sport that has gifted the game with some of the best swing bowler in history. But of them all, swing bowlers have been the ones that keep batting aside. And to discuss these sultans of deception who make the ball come and play as if it wants to, leaving the batsman perplexed and the crowd thumping so in this article we dig deep into the world of swing bowling by exploring the careers of the best swing king in cricket history. Top 10 Best Swing Bowlers' Career Statistics Rank Players Country Test Wickets ODI Wickets Bowling Average (Tests) 1 James Anderson England 704 269 26.45 2 Wasim Akram Pakistan 414 502 23.62 3 Dale Steyn South Africa 439 196 22.95 4 Glenn McGrath Australia 563 381 21.64 5 Zaheer Khan India 311 282 32.94 6 Waqar Younis Pakistan 373 416 23.56 7 Richard Hadlee New Zealand 431 158 22.29 8 Shaun Pollock South Africa 421 393 23.11 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar India 63 141 26.09 10 Mohammed Shami India 229 195 27.71 James Anderson And as far as the contemporary age is concerned, there is no best swing bowler than James Anderson. The English speedster retired at the age of 42 after tormenting the world's best batsmen, for James Anderson has improvised the art of swinging the ball to unprecedented levels. Also, Anderson's dominance over the moving ball, mostly under helpful conditions, has had him pocket 704 Test wickets, which now propel him as the most successful fast bowler in Test cricket history. Wasim Akram No discussion on world's best swing bowler can be done without mentioning Wasim Akram, as the Pakistani left-arm fast bowler is regarded as the king of swing in cricket. His ability to swing the ball both ways at very high speed made him almost unplayable at times. His mastery over conventional and reverse swing earned him 414 Test wickets and 502 ODI scalps. Dale Steyn The most feared man of his generation, Dale Steyn was an unparalleled raw pace bowler. He not only had raw pace but could also swing the ball each way. His outswingers were harshly lethal, as often the batsmen themselves remained clueless about where the ball would curve or shape away at the very last moment. With 439 Test wickets at a mere average of 22.95, Steyn is undoubtedly the best swing bowler in the world. Glenn McGrath Although he is unlikely to remembered for large swings, it was pinpoint accuracy and subtle movement off the seam which happened to be Glenn McGrath's dangerous trading tools in what was one of best swing king in cricket. With an ability to make the ball talk with slight deviations, Australian legend will retire on 563 Test wickets. Zaheer Khan The name that comes to the head while discussing the best swing bowler in India is that of Zaheer Khan. What made Zaheer more special was his ability to swing the new ball and reverse the old, which made him India's go-to man for more than a decade. His performances proved crucial to India's 2011 World Cup victory and showed him to be the swing king in cricket when it mattered most. Also Read | Top 5 Teams with Highest Total in Test Cricket | Record-Breaking Giants Waqar Younis A combination with one of the greats in the form of Wasim Akram formed one of the most deadly bowling duos in the game's history. Of course, Waqar himself was a legend of reverse swing, and his yorkers at express pace swinging late were batsmen's nightmares all over the world. Waqar retired with 373 Test wickets and 416 scalps in ODI. Richard Hadlee Modernly, one of the best swing bowler was Sir Richard Hadlee. Such was his all-around talent for New Zealand that he could swing the ball in both directions with an effendi bearing of control, often bamboozling batsmen by changing pace and direction. His 431 Test wickets stand testimony to his skill and longevity. Shaun Pollock South Africa's Shaun Pollock was probably one of the accurate swing bowlers, with the ball ability to swing away from left-handed batsmen, which undoubtedly made him one of the best swing bowler in cricket history. Not being an express pace, Pollock's skill to maneuver his swing and seam movement helped him pick up 421 Test wickets at an impressive average of 23.11. Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bhuvneshwar Kumar has proved to be one of the best swing bowler in India in recent years. He can swing it both ways, and his seam-effect improves markedly well with the limited-overs game. It is this knack of making early wickets fall with the new ball that had made Bhuvneshwar a vital asset for India. Mohammed Shami The last addition is Mohammed Shami, who in the last couple of years has cemented his place as one of India's premier fast bowlers. He swings both the new as well as reverses the old; he can therefore be dangerous on any kind of pitch. Seam position and wrist action seem to generate movement even on pitches where there is no seam response. Also Read | Top 10 Bowlers With Most Wickets in Test Cricket | All-Time Greats Effect of Swing Bowling on Contemporary Cricket With T20 cricket gaining prominence, do we see swing bowling anymore? The answer, in a loud voice, is yes. The best swing bowlers in the world are still making an impact across all formats. A swinging delivery in the powerplay of T20 cricket can set the tone for the entire innings. The ability to move the ball remains the most important tool of the bowler's in ODIs and Tests. Conclusion : Who is the King of Swing? Looking at the careers and the impacts of the phenomenal bowlers, it would be a genuine claim that the title "king of swing" in cricket is under tight competition. Wasim Akram can well be regarded as one of the strongest contenders for the championship because of his versatility and mastering over conventional and reverse swing. That not withstanding, if one has to look at it from the present context, then undoubtedly it is a stiff challenge for James Anderson to have dominated the limelight. Of course, the best swing bowler in the world is probably a matter of personal preference with how effective each one is an artefact of the era and conditions considered of paramount importance. But the one thing that can be said is that such swing kings have influenced the game of cricket with reverence and awe to batsmen and thrall to spectators through their artistry. Whether it is Bhuvneshwar Kumar threading the ball through gaps in the defense or Dale Steyn cartwheeling stumps with a late out-swinger, swing bowling is probably the most thrilling of cricketing skills. As long as there is leather meeting willow, the swing kings of cricket will continue to hold sway.