OK, so I was talking to my mates about this, some beleive because we see athletic records broken all the time that we will see cricket records broken heaps, too, and they beleive in a decade or two we will be seeing the fastest bowlers clocking 180kph.

I don't reckon we will see it any time soon, if at all. Records are only broken by 10ths and 100ths of a second, and most young cricket players are encouraged to bowl line and length. Fast bowling isn't like athletics, they have 1 main factor to focus on; running, whereas a fast bowler needs to have a great action, a balanced run up and a good follow through.

Your thoughts?

By all accounts a certain Aussie has already clocked it and more but then can you really believe Thommo?

At the moment the record is about 161 (unofficially).  Lee is supposed to have hit 168kph in the nets, Tait can maintain 164kph for an over or two. 

To answer, I really don't know.  For every record there is a limit (well you would think there would be, but again who knows?) especially when it comes to the human body.  Then again, a one off may appear who can get it down there at 180kph plus - stranger things have happened.

hmmmm.. . . . .  i dnt think we will see 180 in the near future...... in saying that, is it possible?? 4 sure..... if lee can hit 168 in the nets there is nothing stopping a bowler doing this in a game........

i think in this era we MAY see 170 but as for 180... not yet...

Maybe if the length of the pitch is reduced or the bowler is on steroids. I think 160 has been the max for the past 20 or so years. I dont think we'll see someone bowl at 180kmph in the near future but who knows 50 years in the future we may see the 180 barrier being broken.

With the devlopments in player fitness, more knowledge on the technical sides of things and general player lifestyles I think it's definetly possible, not going to be easy for a batsman to play speeds that high though, imagine Chris Martin playing a bowler bowing 180 k's, now that would be worth watching 

if they can hit that speed why cant they do it in a game?

man `180 kmph is too much....only a machine can bowl that fast..

Probably because their action would be question or maybe the potential for injury is too great.  Also, they may not be able to bowl as accurate as they'd like.

Yeh, those'll definitely be the reasons. Saj Mahmood could apparently hit 100mph but accuracy would be even worse and he claims he'd rip his shoulder out . You reckon Saj is the quickest England prospect ?

If you are using that much power your shoulders etc are going to be messed up after a short while, so i cant see any bowlers aspiring to put there bodys at risk  when bowling that quick isnt needed.

I know im on me own but i think people will hit 170+ kph , we focus too much on the "100 mph" mark. Theres probaly a mental block saying we can't go quicker then this because i know god is great but how the hell could he say " the maxium pace of bowlers will be around the holy grail number 100 mph " its just too pretty a number to be rule of thumb

its possible, But i cant see many bowlers aspiring to messing up there shoulders for it

There is a limit to the physical capacity of the human body. I doubt that anyone will be able to reach 180kmph within the current limitations like length of the pitch and straightening of the arm.