JOHANNESBURG, March 12: Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee of Australia have confirmed their places as the world’s fastest bowlers by sending down the quickest deliveries at the World Cup.

According to official statistics released on Wednesday, they are the only two bowlers to have broken the 160kmh mark.

Shoaib’s fastest delivery took the speed gun up to 161.3kmh in Pakistan’s match against England, while Lee came close to matching his pace rival, also against England, where his top speed was clocked at 160.7kmh.

Third fastest bowler is New Zealand’s Shane Bond whose quickest delivery of 153.4kmh was unleashed against Canada with West Indies’ Jermaine Lawson just a fraction behind.

Fastest recorded deliveries by bowlers from each country:

Australia: Brett Lee 160.7kmh v England (Port Elizabeth).

Bangladesh: Mashrafe Mortaza 139.5kmh v Canada (Durban).

Canada: Davis Joseph 140.5kmh v Bangladesh (Durban).

England: James Anderson 144kmh v Australia (Port Elizabeth).

Holland: Edger Schiferli 138.4kmh v Namibia (Bloemfontein).

India: Ashish Nehra 149.7kmh v Zimbabwe (Harare).

Kenya: Thomas Odoyo 135.1kmh v Bangladesh (Johannesburg).

Namibia: Gerrie Snyman 138.2kmh v Pakistan (Kimberley).

New Zealand: Shane Bond 153.4kmh v Canada (Benoni).

Pakistan: Shoaib Akhtar 161.3kmh v England (Cape Town).

South Africa: Makhaya Ntini 149.4kmh v Sri Lanka (Durban).

Sri Lanka: Dilhara Fernando 147.9kmh v Bangladesh (Pietermaritzburg).

West Indies: Jermaine Lawson 153.2kmh v Kenya (Kimberley).

Zimbabwe: Andy Blignaut 145.6kmh v New Zealand (Bloemfontein).—AFP