10 Greatest Test Spin Bowlers of all time (Multple Selection Options Available)

[robin2855]

Though the Opening bowlers have a better opportunity to have a go and show results in terms of bowling performance against the opposition, history is replete with astonishing feats of Spin bowlers who have overshadowed their fast bowling team mates either singularly or in a tandem and won the or saved a match for their team through sheer spin bowling skills.

It is indeed difficult to choose the 10 greatest spinners of all time as their has been so many notable Spin maestros both past and present.

So in choosing the 10 greatest I have postions1,5,7,9 with two choices and 10 with 3 choices.

1. Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne
2. Bill O'Reilly
3. Anil Kumble
4. Abdul Qadir
5. Bishen Singh Bedi , Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
6. Richie Benaud, Clarrie Grimmett
7. Derek underwood , Saqlain Mushtaq
8. Lance Gibbs
9. Jim Laker, Johnny Wardle
10. Daniel Vettori, Hugh Tayfield, Hedley Verity

The selection of mine is based on the following criteria:

Effectiveness of Spinners in individual and overall team bowling performances.

Ability to bowl multiple types of spin bowling , Average Runs per wickets, Balls per wicket, No of times in which 5 or more, 10 or more wickets were taken in bringing about a win or salvaging a draw in a tight situation.

To many it may appear too daunting to select 10 Greatest Spinners from past and present.

So to simplify matters the following options are now available.

Options 1

Ideally option 1 it is the most preferred Option to Select 10 Greatest Spinners from past and present.

Options 2

Readers have the Second option of choosing 10 Greatest Spinners from present era only.

Option 3

Readers have the Third option of choosing 5 Greatest Spinners from present and past era.

Option 4

Readers have the Fourth option of choosing 5 Greatest Spinners from present era.

Option 5

Those who still find it difficult have the last option to choose 3 Greatest Spinners from past from present era.

What?s reader?s choice?

I am sure it will be an interesting discussion and we will have invaluable inputs and insights from everyone.

The Primary objective of the thread is to share cricket knowledge and enrich each other.

I hope the multiple options available will facilitate selections of Greatest Greatest Spinners for all and sundry.

Good Luck to all and Cheers!

 

[Robborocksdad]

Ooops!

Quick suggestion. Have a look at the record books and see who is the top wicket taker of all time in first class cricket!!

 

[King Pietersen]

Indeed. Wilfred Rhodes should definitely be on the list. Quite a few spinners that are in the top 10 leading FC wicket takers of all-time that aren't in the list. Most notably Rhodes, Lock and the legbreak bowler Tich Freeman, he's got an excellent record and is very highly regarded.

 

[robin2855]

Selection of 10 Greatest Spin Bowlers of all time for Tests only

Quick suggestion. Have a look at the record books and see who is the top wicket taker of all time in first class cricket!!

I appreciate yuor suggestion.

In the Title of the thread the word test was inadvertently missing.Now I have updated that. We are talking 10 greatest Test Spin bowlers of all time. This does not include a Bowlers performance in first class cricket.

Having said that I am aware of the fact that that Wilferd Rhodes is the Highest wicket taker in First calss matches.

His Bowling Records in First class Matches : First class Matches : 1110 (Wickets : 4204, Ave: 16.72, SR : 44.1, 5Wl 287, 10W: 68)

However his Bowling records in Test Matches is not that impressive as records testify:

His Bowling Records in Test Matches : Test Matches : 58 (Wickets : 127, Ave: 26.96, SR : 64.7.1, 5Wl : 6, 10W: 1).

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

 

[Aoun13]

Options 1

Saqlain Mushtaq

Options 2

Abdul Qadir

Option 3

Shane warne,Murli

Option 4

anil kumble

Option 5

Vettori,Afridi

 

[robin2855]

Helpful guidelines for selection

Here?s some Test career record info I would like to share with readers that was considered in my Selection. Off Course these were not the only factors that were considered.

I have also considered other factors like (already mentioned in my first post).

Effectiveness of Spinners in individual and overall team bowling performances.

Ability to bowl multiple types of spin bowling , Average Runs per wicket, Balls per wicket, No of times in which 5 or more, 10 or more wickets were taken in bringing about a win or salvaging a draw in a tight situation.

Below is provided the Test Career records of the Greatest spinners of all time that I chose in my selection.

Please note the following for those of you who are not familiar with the abbreviations used.

Ave: means Average runs conceded per wicket.

SR: Means Strike Rate - Average number of balls bowled by a bowler to get a wicket.

5W: Number of times a Bowler took 5 or more wickets.

10W: Number of times a Bowler took 10 or more wickets in a test match.

1. Muttiah Muralitharan & Shane Warne

Muttiah Muralitharan Test Matches : 127 (Wickets : 770, Ave : 22.18, SR :54.5, 5W:66 , 10W:22).

Shane Warne Test Matches : 145 (Wickets : 708, Ave : 25.41, SR : 57.4, 5W: 37, 10W:10).

2. Bill O'Reilly

Bill O'Reilly Test Matches :27 (Wickets : 144, Ave : 22.59, SR : 57.8, 5W: 11, 10W:3).

3. Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble Test Matches :132( Wickets : 619, Ave : 29.65, SR: 65.9 5W: 35, 10W:8).

4. Abdul Qadir

Abdul Qadir Test Matches :67 (Wickets : 236, Ave : 26.16, SR 54.2, 5W: 15, 10W:5).

5. Bishen Singh Bedi & Bhagwat Chandrasekhar

Bishen Singh Bedi:67 (Wickets : 266, Ave : 28.71, SR: 80.3.5, 5W: 14, 10W:1).

Bhagwat Chandrasekhar Test Matches :58 (Wickets : 242, Ave : 29.74, SR :65.9, 5W: 16, 10W:2).

6. Richie Benaud, Clarrie Grimmett

Richie Benaud Test Matches: 63 (wickets : 248, Ave : 77.0, SR : 46.7.1 5W: 16, 10W:1).

Clarrie Grimmett Test Matches : 37(Wickets : 216, Ave : 24.21, SR : 67.1, 5W: 21, 10W:2).

7. Derek underwood & Saqlain Mushtaq

Derek underwood Test Matches : 86(Wickets : 297, Ave : 25.83, SR :73.6, 5W: 17, 10W:6).

Saqlain Mushtaq Test Matches :49 (Wickets : 208, Ave : 29.83, SR :67.6, 5W: 13, 10W:3).

8. Lance Gibbs

Lance Gibbs Test Matches : 79(Wickets : 309, Ave : 29.09, SR : 87.7, 5W: 18, 10W:2).

9. Jim Laker & Johnny Wardle

Jim Laker Test Matches :46 (Wickets : 193, Ave : 21.24, SR : 62.3, 5W: 9, 10W:3).

Johnny Wardle Test Matches :28 (Wickets : 102, Ave : 26.13, SR : 54.9, 5W: 8, 10W:0).

10. Daniel Vettori, Hugh Tayfield, Hedley Verity

Daniel Vettori Test Matches:92(Wickets : 293, Ave : 33.55, SR :76.4 5W: 18, 10W:3).

Hugh Tayfield Test Matches 37 (Wickets : 170, Ave : 25.91, SR :79.8 5W: 14, 10W:2).

Hedley Verity Test Matches :40 (Wickets : 144, Ave : 24.37, SR : 77.5 5W, 5, 10W:2).

I will be happy if these test records assist readers in some way to make their own selection.

Good Luck and Cheers!

 

[King Cricket]

^ Daniel Vettori the 10th greatest spin bowler!! You are really over-rating him Robin. Why don't you open Cricinfo and check his test records? Yes, he's a terrific bowler in the ODIs and T-20, but in Tests!!!! He averages over 100 against South Africa, 50+ against India, etc etc. Why don't you just check Statsguru?

 

[King Pietersen]

LMAO at the suggestion of Vettori ahead of Wilfred Rhodes. Vettori's a very good ODi bowler, but he's a very, very average Test bowler, could even be considered poor if you were basing the argument on stats alone, especially with an average of 38 away from home.

 

[King Cricket]

^ Not to forget 100+ against South Africa.

 

[coolz_hari]

Bishon singh bedi????????

 

[King Pietersen]

What I don't get is the multiple picks for 1 position. Just pick 10 bowlers ffs. It's not that hard, would save you from picking guys like Vettori in the top 10.

 

[King Cricket]

1. Warne
2. Murali
3. Rhodes
4. Verity
5. BS Bedi
6. Chandra Sekhar
7. Kumble
8. Mushtaq
9. Laker
10. O'Reily

In no particular order as you all can understand.
This might be incomplete. I've made it quite hastily, and must have missed a few names.

 

[Howsie]

I agree with anyone that say's Daniel Vettori shouldn't be in the top 10, he is a pretty bad test bowler.

Anyway my top 10:

Muttiah Muralitharan
Shane Warne
Jim Laker
Anil Kumble
Richard Gibbs
Bishan Bedi
Richie Benaud
Abdul Qadir
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Bill O'Reilly

 

[King Cricket]

Darn it! What a ***** I am! I missed Anil Kumble!!!

 

[King Pietersen]

You also named 11. This is a Top 10, not 10 blokes + another 10 next to them.

Shane Warne
Muttiah Muralitharan
Anil Kumble
Tiger O'Reilly
Clarrie Grimmett
Jim Laker
Wilfred Rhodes
Bishan Bedi
Bhagwat Chandrasekhar
Headley Verity