Lockie Ferguson names top 5 Test bowlers, picks two from Pakistan but none from India [Exclusive]

Lockie Ferguson also shared his take on the growing debate around players prioritising franchise leagues over international cricket.

Published - 26 Aug 2025, 20:50 IST | Updated - 26 Aug 2025, 20:51 IST

6 Min Read

Lockie Ferguson names top 5 Test bowlers, picks two from Pakistan but none from India [Exclusive]

Lockie Ferguson is one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket at the moment. He can clock speeds in excess of 145 kph at will, even at the age of 34. While injuries have been an impediment, when fit, Ferguson has won his teams matches single-handedly with some lethal spells.

During an exclusive interview with CricTracker, Ferguson spoke about his 'God-gifted talent' of bowling quick, experience of playing in different Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises, leaderships acumen of the likes of Ricky Ponting and MS Dhoni, and much more. The Auckland-born also addressed the growing debate around players prioritising franchise leagues over international cricket. In the end, he also picked his top five Test bowlers. While two Pakistani pacers - Shoaib Akhtar and Wasim Akram made the cut, there wasn't a place for anyone from India.

You've consistently bowled at high speeds. How did having raw pace help or hinder your progress as a cricketer?

I think it always helped. Certainly, it was a God-gift talent to bowl quick in a way, but it's something I've very much worked at. But having an older brother who was a very quick bowler made me want to be a fast bowler as well. So I certainly think it's helped me. I'm stoked to be a fast bowler. I love the community around it. So, yeah, I think it certainly helped.

Do you think the IPL and franchise leagues have ruined the rivalry between international teams?

I'm not sure if there was hatred, but certainly with franchise tournaments, you've got teams of internationals getting along probably more than you have in the past. But that's the nature of it. But the good stuff we've got from those franchise tournaments, I think that the games really progress very quickly. So, yeah, perhaps at times there's less sledging, but I still think it's very much part of the game. And I think, especially when people put on their international colours, they're doing everything they can to win the match. I think India vs England was a really good example of that. But yeah, I think very much there's still fierce competitiveness there.

You’ve played for five IPL teams so far. Which team gave you the best learning experience?

They've all given me great learning experiences for different reasons. Certainly, my first year was all very new to me playing in India and trying to understand the conditions and playing in front of what is very large crowds compared to what I was used to in New Zealand. But throughout every year that I've had, I've learnt a lot. It's been great being able to rub shoulders with other world-class fast bowlers, Guys that have played a lot longer than me, guys who've had a lot of success all over the world, and especially talking to them about how they perform in India, because it's at times challenging place to bowl quick. But I think it's exciting the opportunities you get to learn off other players.

You bowled four maidens and took three wickets against Papua New Guinea in the T20 World Cup; how surreal was it to have the most economical spell in T20 World Cup history?

We just enjoy playing the game. And I think getting the win is more important. So for us, that tournament was pretty frustrating not going through to the final rounds. But yeah, look, I suppose when I retire, maybe it's a nice thought to reflect back on that. But yeah, it was a pretty crazy day. From that sense, I thought there'd be a nick or something. I think the fielders were probably more nervous than I was, but yes, a nice day.

This IPL, you were part of the Punjab Kings with Arshdeep Singh and under Shreyas Iyer’s leadership. What’s clicking for you in this new setup?

There's just a lot of belief there, a really exciting young batch of players as well at the same time. And I think that fearlessness really mixed well with Shreyas Iyer and Ricky the leaders in the group. And there was, of course, a lot of experience around. Arshdeep Singh is one of the best bowlers I've seen. And it's not easy, as I've said, in IPL, but he's a player who constantly wants to get better. He constantly keeps improving every season I play. So I think it's an exciting group. As I said, it's a young group, so I think they'll try to stick together for a while. But yeah, really pleased to see the guys go so far in the tournament. Obviously, unfortunate not to be with them, but at the same time, big fans of how Punjab played this year.

You’ve praised Rohit Sharma’s skills many times. Can you share one thing that makes him so hard to bowl to?

Yeah, he's a great player, isn't he? I don't think I need to talk to his achievements, but clearly a great player for India and Mumbai as well. So the way I bowl, I I tend to bowl the odd short ball, and he's a pretty good player of it.

You’ve played for five IPL franchises across your career. How do the leadership styles of Ponting, Dhoni, and others stack up with each other?

The greats of the game tend to understand the game really well. I think you have great coaches. We've got Andy Flower here, another great of the game who was with RCB. I just think from my point of view, the consistency of who they are as coaches is something that really stands out to me. They have a lot of belief in their players and instill that confidence. But at the same time, they're prepared to have, at times, some difficult questions or to question the players around their game plans. And I think that builds a healthy environment where we're all trying to get better. But, yeah, as I said, there's a lot of consistencies with the guys you mentioned. So being a part of those teams is great. Really enjoyed my time with each single one of them. Learned a lot. So, yeah, hopefully we'll cross past with them in the future.

We see many international cricketers rejecting central contracts to play in T20 leagues around the world. What changes do you think boards should make to bring back the motivation?

Yeah, look, I think that question is certainly above my pay grade. But at the same time, I think players still love playing for their country. So by no means do I see that stopping. If anything, that hunger is growing. Franchise tournaments are there, and there's an obvious financial gain to them. And at the same time as well, as I said, you learn a lot of these franchise tournaments because you're actually rubbing shoulders with players from all over the world. You understand how to play in different conditions by talking to the guys who are local to the area. So there's a lot of benefits that you can then take back to your national side. That experience is pretty hard to buy. It's pretty hard to learn, but the franchise world really does give that. But I still stand strong that certainly from a New Zealand point of view, and I can only speak on my behalf, I guess, but I think international players really do love playing for their country, and I think that it didn't fade away by any means.