10 Best off spinners in international cricket

10 Best off spinners in international cricket: During the 1940’s and 50’s, off-spinners were used as mere backup bowlers by captains to provide rest to the fast bowlers. Unlike leg spinners, they were never an attacking option and hardly threatened any batsman. However, then came few sharp minded bowlers who changed this perception. These individuals brought more varieties and innovations in finger spin bowling which made off spinners a more wicket taking options in cricket. Nowadays, modern-day off spin bowling has become an even more attacking form of bowling in the game of cricket. We have more often seen the offspinner’s come up with a new kind of a delivery. They know their strengths and weakness perfectly. With the introduction of limited-overs cricket, it was expected that the spinners, especially off-spinners will have a very tormenting time. However, that was not the case, they adapted aptly to the changes and have become a force to reckon with in the shorter formats too. Here are the 10 Best off spinners in international cricket: 10. Sonny Ramadhin (West Indies): Sonny Ramadhin. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Sonny Ramadhin can be regarded as cricket’s first mystery spinner. He was the first player of Indian origin to play for West Indies. The canny West Indian off-spinner baffled the batsman with his off breaks and “away going” delivery without any change of action or grip. He had a very unique grip. Ramadhin finished his Test career with 158 wickets at 28.98 from 43 Tests. He had 10 five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket hauls. His economy rate of 1.97 is the second-best (after Valentine’s 1.95) for any West Indian with 100 or more Test wickets. At the time of his retirement, he was also the highest wicket-taker for West Indies. Also Read – Best Bowler from Each Cricketing Nation 9. Hugh Tayfield (South Africa): (source) Hugh Tayfield is the best off spinner South Africa has ever produced till date. Tayfield was known for his accuracy. He created different angles and could bowl all day unchanged. He had a phenomenal record when compared to other master off spinners like Jim Laker or other. Tayfield (4.59) took more Test wicket per match than any other bowler at that time. He was the fastest South African to take 100 wickets in Tests (in terms of matches played) until Dale Steyn claimed the record in March 2008. In 1956/57, Tayfield fell one short of claiming all ten wickets in an innings. He ran through the English batting line-up and took 9/113 in the second innings of the fourth Test at Johannesburg and was carried on shoulders after the match. During his playing career between 1949-50 and 1960, he took 170 wickets in Tests at an average 25.91 in 37 matches. 8. EAS Prasanna (India) EAS Prasanna. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Erapalli Anantharao Srinivas Prasanna is considered as one of the greatest exponents of spin bowling. He was the part of the famous spin quartet of India along with Bishen Singh Bedi, Bhagwat Chandrashekar, and S. Venkatraghavan during the 1960’s and 70’s. He would bowl with a classic high arm action imparting prodigious revolutions on the ball and used variations in pace and flight to deceive the batsman in the air. Prasanna made his debut for India in 1962 against England in Chennai. Soon, he became the fastest to reach 100 Test wickets in Test matches among Indian bowlers. He did so in just 20 matches (this record was later broken by Ravichandran Ashwin). Prasanna retired from Test cricket after an unimpressive tour of Pakistan in 1978. Overall he played 49 Tests for India and took 189 wickets at an average of 30.38. 7. Jim Laker (England): Jim Laker. (Photo Source: PA Photos) Born at Frizinghall, near Bradford, England, Jim Laker was an elegant off-spinner. He formed a good partnership with left-arm spinner Tony Lock and troubled the Australians greatly. James “Jim” Charles Laker achieved an unimaginable feat which other bowlers could only fantasize about. Laker became the first player to take all 10 wickets in a Test match innings. In 1956, he took 10 for 53 in the 2nd innings of the 4th Ashes Test at Old Trafford against Australia (the only other bowler to take all 10 wickets is Anil Kumble of India in 1999) and finished the match with 19 wickets. Laker’s 46 wickets in the 5-Test 1956 Ashes series is an unbroken record in an Ashes series. In 46 Test matches, he took 193 wickets at 21.24. His first-class record was also very astounding. He played County cricket for Surrey and Essex and took 1,944 wickets at an average 18.41. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Watch: Jim Laker records the best bowling figures in Test history 6. Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan): Saqlain Mushtaq. (© Getty Images) Saqlain Mushtaq is the most innovative off spinner the cricketing world has ever seen. Initially coached by his elder brother, he pioneered the famous delivery “Doosra,” having learned it by playing on the rooftop of his home. He mastered the delivery to such an extent that it became very difficult for the batsmen to read him. Thus, becoming his main wicket taking delivery. His international career had a great start. Saqlain became the fastest bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets. He was as aggressive as a fast bowler and bowled at the death overs for Pakistan in ODIs. His Test record is also equally impressive. Mushtaq’s most famous performance came against arch-rivals India at Chennai in 1999 when his spell of 10 for 187 ensured Pakistan a famous victory. Saqlain played 49 Test matches for Pakistan during after making his debut in 1995 against Sri Lanka in Peshawar. He finished his career with 208 wickets at an average of 29.83 which included 13 five-wicket hauls and 3 ten-wicket hauls. 5. Nathan Lyon (Australia): Nathan Lyon. (Photo Source: Getty Images) The emergence of Nathan Lyon ended Australia’s search for an effective front line spinner after the departure of Shane Warne. Nathan Lyon worked as a curator at the Adelaide Oval before becoming Australia’s premier spin bowler in all forms. Lyon is an orthodox off-spinner with a clean action who relies on subtle variations in the flight and pace. He holds the record for the most Test wickets taken by an Australian off-spin bowler, after passing Hugh Trumble’s 141 wickets in 2015. “Test specialist” Nathan Lyon has played 48 Tests so far in his career and has 169 dismissals to his name at a slightly higher average of 34.17. His best bowling performance 7/94 came against India at Delhi in 2013. Lyon has faced challenges from time to time and has also been dropped from the team. However, he has overcome these challenges to become Australia’s most prolific off-spinner. 4. Harbhajan Singh (India): Harbhajan Singh. (Photo Source: Harbhajan Singh Facebook Page) Harbhajan Singh made his Test debut for India during Australia’s tour of India in 2001 and impressed immediately recording the frist Test hat-trick by an Indian. His performances helped India overturn the result of the series. After Kumble’s retirement, he was expected to be India’s leading spinner in all formats. To an extent, Bhajji failed to replicate his Test success in ODIs. Also, his Test form deteriorated as he focused more to improve his ODI performances. Harbhajan eventually made a comeback to the Test side and became the 10th Indian to have played 100 Tests when he took the field against Australia in Chennai and managed to pick 3 wickets in the match. Bhajji has outstanding career stats. He is the third highest wicket-taker for India in Tests, standing only behind Anil Kumble (619 wickets) and Kapil Dev (434 wickets). Harbhajan has 417 wickets in the 103 Tests he played for India. He has also played 236 ODIs and has taken 269 wickets. 3. Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan): Saeed Ajmal. (© Getty Images) Saeed Ajmal made a very late entry into international cricket. He did not play his first Test until he was 32. However, his late entrance did not stop him from becoming one of the leading modern day off-spinners. Known as the magician by his fans, his dominance over the batsman began in 2011. He destroyed the best batting line-ups single-handedly. He had mastered the doosra and had immense control over his bowling. In supportive conditions, Ajmal was a tormentor of the batsman with an unreadable doosra. Saeed Ajmal is the quickest to reach 100 Test wickets for Pakistan. Unfortunately, his career has been now brought to a halt after he was reported for suspect action. His career stats are very impressive. He played just 35 Test for Pakistan and has 178 dismissals to his name. In ODIs, he has taken 184 wickets in 113 matches. And, in T20Is Ajmal has 85 wickets in 64 matches at a stunning average of 17.83. 2. Ravichandran Ashwin (India): Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI) Ravichandran Ashwin can be regarded as the best off spinner in the world at present. Ashwin is a very canny off-spinner. He has handled the responsibility of leading India’s spin attack very well. An opening batsman initially, Ashwin took to off-spin on the suggestions of his coach. He was brought into the attention due to IPL. The downfall of Harbhajan Singh had left a void in the spin bowling department, but Ashwin managed to take up that responsibility. Ashwin took his 100th Test wickets in his 18th Test, becoming the fastest Indian to reach 100 Test wickets and the fastest in the world in over 80 years. Ravichandran Ashwin is only 31* Tests old but already has 169 wickets which include 15 five-wicket hauls and 4 ten-wicket hauls. He has represented India in 100 ODIs and has taken 140 wickets. He has a variety of deliveries which makes him a very economical T20 bowlers as well. Ashwin has taken 29 wickets in the 29 T20I he has played for India. Apart from being an outstanding bowler, he has also earned the reputation of a bowling all-rounder and has two Test century and 5 half-centuries to his name. 1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka): Muthiah Muralitharan. (© LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images) Muttiah Muralitharan is the greatest spinner to have ever played. A unique off-spinner, he used his wrist to turn the ball sharply making him the first wrist spinning off spinner in the history of cricket. Few years into his international career, Murali added the famous “doosra” to his repertoire. The doosra combined with an ability to turn the ball prodigiously made him a very difficult bowler to face on any surface under any playing conditions. His bowling action was under scrutiny many times and was criticized for being a chucker many times. However, bowling test cleared his bowling actions. Muttiah Muralitharan is the all-time highest wicket-taker in Test cricket as well as ODI cricket. He registered his 800th and also his final wicket off the final delivery of his career. He is also the fastest to reach 400 and 500 Test wickets. Murali has a 10 wicket haul against every Test playing nation. Overall, this spin bowling giant finished with 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets at an average of 22.72 and 23.08 respectively. Also Read – 8 Greatest leg spinners of all time

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10 Best off spinners in international cricket

8. EAS Prasanna (India)

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