Best Spin Bowlers
Spin bowling, a captivating art in the world of cricket, has seen its legends and maestros mesmerize audiences with their craft over the years. From the subtle flight of the ball to the wicked turn it generates, spin bowling is a crucial aspect of the game, often turning the tide in favor of the bowling side. Let’s delve into spin bowling and explore some of the best spin bowlers to grace the cricket field.
Spin bowling involves imparting a rotational spin to the cricket ball, causing it to deviate from its straight path upon pitching. Unlike pace bowling, which relies on sheer speed, spin bowling relies on deception, guile, and skillful manipulation of the ball’s revolutions.
Greatest Spin Bowlers of All Time
1. Muttiah Muralitharan
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 133 | 800 | 9/51 | 22.72 | 2.47 | 67 | 22 |
| ODI | 350 | 534 | 7/30 | 23.08 | 3.93 | 10 | 0 |
| T20I | 12 | 13 | 3/29 | 22.84 | 6.31 | 0 | 0 |
2. Shane Warne
With an economy rate of 2.65, his test-blowing average is 25.41. Furthermore, in test cricket, Warne claimed five wickets 37 times and ten wickets ten times. In the 194 ODI matches he participated in between 1993 and 2005, he also claimed 293 wickets and recorded his best ODI performance 5/33.
In ODIs, Warne has a bowling average of 25.73 and an economy rate of 4.25. In one international limited-over match, he also claimed five wickets.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 145 | 708 | 8/71 | 25.41 | 2.65 | 37 | 10 |
| ODI | 194 | 293 | 5/33 | 25.73 | 4.25 | 1 | 0 |
| T20 | 73 | 70 | 4/21 | 26.61 | 7.22 | 0 | 0 |
3. Anil Kumble
Anil Radhakrishna Kumble, a retired right-arm leg-break bowler and former captain of the Indian cricket team, was named one of the 1996 Wisden Cricketers of the Year.
In February 2015, he was honored as the fourth Indian cricket player in the ICC Hall of Fame. In the 132 test matches he played between 1990 and 2008, Anil claimed 619 wickets in 236 innings, with his greatest bowling performances coming in an innings of 10/74 and a single test match of 14/149.
His economy rate is 2.69, and his test bowling average is 29.65. In test cricket, Kumble claimed five wickets 35 times and ten wickets eight times. In 271 ODI matches he participated in between 1990 and 2007, he claimed 337 wickets and recorded his best ODI result of 6/12.
In One-Day Internationals, Kumble has a bowling average of 30.89 and an economy rate of 4.30. He has also claimed five wickets twice in limited-over international matches.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 132 | 619 | 10/74 | 29.65 | 2.69 | 35 | 8 |
| ODI | 271 | 337 | 6/12 | 30.89 | 4.30 | 2 | 0 |
| T20 | 54 | 57 | 5/5 | 24.36 | 6.69 | 1 | 0 |
4. Saqlain Mushtaq
Pakistani retired right-arm off-break The “doosra,” invented by bowler Saqlain Mushtaq, is his most famous invention. He was the bowler who reached 100 wickets in the One-Day International record, the quickest.
Between 1995 and 2004, he played in 49 test matches, taking 208 wickets in 86 innings, with his best bowling performances coming in an innings of 8/164 and a single test match of 10/155. Furthermore, he has an economy rate of 2.64 and a Test blowing average of 29.83.
Mushtaq claimed five wickets 13 times in test cricket and ten wickets three times. In the 169 ODI matches he participated in between 1995 and 2003, he claimed 288 wickets and recorded his best ODI performance at 5/20.
In One-Day Internationals, Saqlain has a bowling average of 21.78 and an economy rate of 4.29. He has also claimed five wickets six times in limited-over international matches. Saqlain, renowned for producing some of the best bowling numbers in tests, deserves his status as one of the greatest spin bowlers of all time.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 49 | 208 | 8/164 | 29.83 | 2.64 | 13 | 3 |
| ODI | 169 | 288 | 5/20 | 21.78 | 4.29 | 6 | 0 |
| T20 | 9 | 14 | 3/24 | 18.92 | 7.57 | 0 | 0 |
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5. Daniel Vettori
Daniel Luca Vettori, a pioneering slow-arm orthodox bowler for the New Zealand cricket team, is the eighth player in Test history to reach 3,000 runs in addition to 300 wickets claimed. From 2007 to 2011, Vettori led the New Zealand squad as captain.
In the 113 test matches he played between 1997 and 2014, he claimed 362 wickets in 187 innings, with his greatest bowling performances coming in an innings of 7/87 and a single test match of 12/149.
His economy rate is 2.59, and his test bowling average is 34.36. In addition, Vettori claimed five wickets twenty times and ten wickets three times in test matches. In the 289 ODI matches he participated in between 1997 and 2015, he claimed 296 wickets and recorded his best ODI performance at 5/7.
In One-Day Internationals, Vettori has a bowling average of 31.90 and an economy rate of 4.11. He has also claimed five wickets twice in limited-over international matches.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 113 | 362 | 7/87 | 34.36 | 2.59 | 20 | 3 |
| ODI | 295 | 305 | 5/7 | 31.71 | 4.12 | 2 | 0 |
| T20I | 34 | 38 | 4/20 | 19.68 | 5.70 | 0 | 0 |
6. Shahid Afridi
Pakistani leg spin with right arm Pakistani bowler Shahid Afridi, sometimes known as “Boom Boom Afridi,” has participated in more One-Day International (ODI) matches than any other player. As a spin bowler, Afridi is renowned for his ability to deliver a bouncer to batters, which is quite uncommon.
In the 27 test matches he played between 1998 and 2010, he claimed 48 wickets in 47 innings, with his greatest bowling performances coming in an innings of 5/52 and a single test match of 5/43. Afridi is one of the world’s top all-around players, but he deserves to be considered one of the greatest spinners ever.
His economy rate is 3.21, and his test bowling average is 35.60. In one Test match, Afridi claimed five wickets. In the 393 ODI matches he participated in between 1996 and 2015, he claimed 393 wickets and recorded his best ODI performance of 7/12.
In addition, Shahid Afridi has taken five wickets nine times in international limited-over matches and bowled at an economy rate of 4.62 in ODIs with an average of 34.21.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 27 | 48 | 5/52 | 35.60 | 3.21 | 1 | 0 |
| ODI | 398 | 395 | 7/12 | 34.51 | 4.62 | 9 | 0 |
| T20I | 99 | 98 | 4/11 | 24.44 | 6.63 | 0 | 0 |
7. Harbhajan Singh
Harbhajan Singh Plaha, an Indian right-arm off-break bowler and former captain of the Mumbai Indians IPL club, holds the record for most Test wickets taken by an off-spinner with two. In addition, he is the first bowler from India to score a hat-trick in a Test match.
In the 101 test matches he played between 1998 and 2013, he claimed 413 wickets in 186 innings, with his greatest bowling performances coming in an innings of 8/84 and a single test match of 15/217.
His economy rate is 2.83, and his test bowling average is 32.37. In test cricket, Harbhajan claimed five wickets 25 times and ten wickets five times. In the 229 ODI matches he participated in between 1998 and 2011, he also claimed 259 wickets and recorded his best ODI performance 5/31.
In one-day internationals, Harbhajan’s economy rate is 4.30, and he bowls at an average of 33.40. In limited-overs matches, he has claimed three wickets at an international level.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 103 | 417 | 8/84 | 32.46 | 2.84 | 25 | 5 |
| ODI | 236 | 269 | 5/31 | 33.35 | 4.31 | 3 | 0 |
| T20I | 28 | 25 | 4/12 | 25.31 | 6.20 | 0 | 0 |
8. Abdul Qadir
Pakistani retired, right-arm leg spinner As per Yahoo! Cricket, bowler Abdul Qadir is considered to have “mastered the googlies, the flippers, the leg-breaks, and the topspins.” Graham Gooch, a former English captain, once said, “Qadir was even finer than Shane Warne.”
In the 67 test matches he played between 1977 and 1990, he claimed 236 wickets in 111 innings, with his greatest bowling performances coming in an innings of 9/56 and a single test match of 13/101.
His economy rate is 2.71, and his test bowling average is 32.80. Additionally, in test cricket, Abdul Qadir claimed five wickets fifteen times and ten wickets five times. He took 132 wickets in 104 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1983 and 1993 and recorded his best-ever ODI performance of 5/44.
In One-Day Internationals, Qadir has a bowling average of 26.16 and an economy rate of 4.06. He has also claimed five wickets twice in limited-over international matches.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 67 | 236 | 9/56 | 32.80 | 2.71 | 15 | 5 |
| ODI | 104 | 132 | 5/44 | 26.16 | 4.06 | 2 | 0 |
| First Class | 209 | 960 | 9/49 | 23.24 | 2.73 | 75 | 21 |
9. Graeme Swann
English retired right-arm off-break Bowler Graham Since Jim Laker, Peter Swann was the first English off-spinner of the modern era to take ten wickets in a single match. In addition, he is credited with creating the original “flying saucer ball.”
In the 60 test matches he played between 2008 and 2013, he claimed 255 wickets in 109 innings, with his greatest bowling performances coming in an innings of 6/65 and a single test match of 10/132. His economy rate is 2.98, and his test bowling average is 29.96.
Graeme claimed five wickets 17 times in test cricket and ten three times. In the 79 ODI matches he participated in between 2000 and 2013, he claimed 104 wickets and recorded his best ODI performance of 5/28.
Graeme Swann has an economy rate of 4.54 and an ODI bowling average of 27.76. He has also claimed five wickets in one international limited-over match.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 60 | 255 | 6/65 | 29.96 | 2.98 | 17 | 3 |
| ODI | 79 | 104 | 5/28 | 27.76 | 4.54 | 1 | 0 |
| T20I | 39 | 51 | 3/13 | 16.84 | 6.36 | 0 | 0 |
10. Rangana Herath
Rangana Herath, a former spinner from Sri Lanka, played for his nation in all cricket formats. In addition, he led the squad as captain multiple times. In addition to being among the greatest spinners of all time, many people consider Herath among the best left-arm bowlers to have ever played cricket.
In test cricket, he is the only left-arm spinner with 433 wickets. He captained his Sri Lankan side to victory in multiple international competitions during his career, which spanned from 1999 to 2018.
Herath took 433 wickets in 93 test matches while representing his nation. Throughout his Test career, he also claimed five wickets 34 times and ten wickets nine times.
He also claimed 74 wickets in 71 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for his nation. In addition, he represented Sri Lanka in 17 T20 International matches. He finished his T20 career with 18 wickets.
| Format | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy | 5-Wicket | 10-Wicket |
| Test | 93 | 433 | 9/127 | 28.08 | 2.80 | 34 | 9 |
| ODI | 71 | 74 | 4/20 | 31.91 | 4.37 | 0 | 0 |
| T20I | 17 | 18 | 5/3 | 20.72 | 6.13 | 1 | 0 |
Conclusion
Spin bowling remains an integral part of cricket, captivating audiences with its artistry and intrigue. From the legendary spinners of yesteryears to the rising stars of today, spin bowling continues to evolve, showcasing the enduring appeal of this timeless craft.