Lockie Ferguson

A genuine fast bowler who hits the deck hard, Lockie Ferguson is a nightmare for the opposition batters. His ability to generate raw pace handed him a first-class debut in the 2012/13 domestic season for Auckland. He had a decent debut season, but it was in the 2014/15 season where he rose to fame and people started noticing him.

The right-arm fast bowler took 21 wickets and terrorized the opposition with his raw pace. The following season, Ferguson registered 31 wickets and knocked the doors of the selectors on a regular basis.

In the year 2016, Ferguson’s opportunity came in the ODI series against their rival, Australia. Ferguson had a night to forget as he was hammered for 73 runs and Australia went onto win the match pretty convincingly.

The following year, the New Zealand board decided to try him in the shortest format of the game. The pacer made his T20I debut against Bangladesh and took 2 wickets in his first two deliveries.

Impressive performances in the ODI format meant that Ferguson was on the flight to England for the 2019 World Cup. It was in this very tournament where he became a household name. New Zealand reached the finals of the World Cup and Ferguson was one of the key players for them, picking up 21 wickets at an average of 19.47 and was the second-highest wicket taker behind Mitchell Starc. He bowled with raw pace and for his excellent performance throughout the tournament, Ferguson was rewarded with a place in the ICC ‘Team of the Tournament’.

In the same year, Ferguson was handed his maiden Test cap. The Auckland-based cricketer made his long awaited Test debut against the Aussies. But just like his ODI debut, Ferguson was average, playing his first Test match, and couldn’t register a single wicket to his name.

In a T20I game against the Windies, Ferguson picked up his maiden fifer in the shortest format of the game, and troubled the West Indian top-order with his hostile pace bowling. 

As far as his IPL career is concerned, Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) were impressed by his ability to ball quick, and they decided to rope him for INR 50 lakh in 2017.

As the franchise went defunct, Ferguson’s name was put under the hammer ahead of the 2018 auction, but the Kiwi speedster went unsold. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) came calling and purchased him for INR 1.6 crore in the next season. He has not been able to replicate his international performance in the IPL, and has only managed to pick up 2 and 6 wickets in the 2019 and 2020 IPL season respectively.

Fast and furious is what defines Ferguson the best. His ability to bowl quick makes him a match-winner for the Kiwis. In an era where the bowlers reduce their pace in order to concentrate on line and length, Ferguson’s undying love to ball quickly makes him a very special cricketer.

(As of March 2021)