ICC World Cup 2019: Rating the spinners of all 10 teams in the tournament

Indian selectors puzzled everyone when they picked three spinners in the 15-man squad that was to represent the Men in blue in the World Cup this year. The last couple of years have not been great for spinners in England, especially finger spinners, who got hammered ruthlessly no matter how much effort they placed in.

But the amount of cricket that happened in the last few months in England, some experts reckon the pitches might get a little slow. Another major facet to discuss here is that summer is here in England and if the temperatures remain on the higher side, the pitches might get a little dry and kill the moisture. That could be an absolute treat for the spinners.

Well, not a lot of teams have considered all these facets and have decided to back what’s their strength. After a week or so from the opening game between South Africa and England, we will know how big a role spinners could play in this tournament. Before we head into that crucial juncture, here are the ratings of each spin attack.

1. Afghanistan (8/10)

Rashid Khan walks into any of these World Cup 15-man squads without any doubts. He is the best spinner in the world and is expected to be one of the glittering stars of this edition. Adding to that is the incomparable experience of Mohammad Nabi, who bowled fairly decently in the first two warm-up games. He bowled a lot of overs in the IPL as well and seems ready for the big challenge.

The only concern for the Afghan lineup is the form of their third spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Whenever the trio got going well, oppositions found it very difficult to get anything above 250. Currently, he is experiencing a difficult patch and the batsmen are picking his deliveries easily, a sight no spinner enjoys. If he can get some form back, this could be the best spin attack in the World Cup.

2. Australia (7/10)

One has to accept Australia has one of the most underrated spin attacks among the current teams. Adam Zampa has done a brilliant job in the 44 ODIs he has played for Australia, but to bowl on these flat tracks won’t be an easy task. Nathan Lyon does have the experience on his side, but he has not played a lot of ODI cricket in his career and could be vulnerable with the white cherry.

Since they have gone with five proper seamers in the squad, it is evident that they’re looking to build their XI around their speedsters. So only one spinner will get a place in the XI in a game and Glenn Maxwell‘s part-time off-spin could come into picture if their main five bowlers are leaking runs. Their spinners might not boast of great numbers, but they do pack a punch.

3. Bangladesh (7.5/10)

The Tigers have the experience of Shakib Al Hasan, who has traveled everywhere in the cricketing globe and has the ability to excel in any conditions. He is one of the reasons why Bangladesh find themselves in such a good position in recent years and is also expected to bat in the top 4. A spinner who can bowl 10 overs and bat in the top order – no wonder why he’s the number 1 all-rounder.

Mehidy Hasan has been very economical in his ODI career but hasn’t picked up a lot of wickets. Although the youngster has great ability, will he survive if the decks are too flat for a finger spinner’s liking is another unanswered question. They have brilliant part-time options in Mahmudullah and Mosaddek Hossain, who will be in action many times as the tournament goes on.

4. England (7/10)

They have just two proper spinning options in the squad, but their current form has been a huge bonus point for the English setup. Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid will have a huge responsibility if the pitches are going to be on the slower side and if these warmup games are any indication, spinners will come into the picture more often than what we expected a couple of months back.

Moeen Ali is more of a sixth bowling option in the lineup for England, but he is more than capable of bowling out his quota of overs to great effect. His canny variations are deceptive enough to earn big wickets given he gets some assistance off the track. Liam Dawson is another option for Morgan, but the left-arm spinner might not come into action in the big games.

5. India (8.5/10)

Kuldeep Yadav has not been in the best of form of late, yet we all know how capable he is of picking important wickets. The youngster has been struggling ever since the IPL started this season and he found it difficult to find his mojo in the first warmup game. Yet, there’s an equally potential Ravindra Jadeja in the side who can also bat to great effect and give them some batting depth.

Going by form, India’s most lethal spinner will be Yuzvendra Chahal this season. He did a fantastic job in the IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and he probably picks himself in the XI for India’s opening game against South Africa. They also have Kedar Jadhav in the ranks, who is very well known to break crucial partnerships. Many criticized the selectors for picking three spinners, but this could turn out to be a breathtaking decision from them if the pitches offer the spinners some assistance.

6. New Zealand (6/10)

This is not an area the Kiwis have relied on heavily to win games and it won’t be so even in this edition. They do have two good names in the 15-man squad, but they have been far too inconsistent to be considered a serious threat. Mitchell Santner might be playing ahead of Ish Sodhi considering a fact that he also can bat a little bit at number 7 or 8.

Ish Sodhi can get very tricky when he’s in full rhythm, but he isn’t often in a good rhythm. Kane Williamson has often used him in the T20s when compared to ODIs and it’ll be interesting to see how many games he will get. But a lot of experts are touting this World Cup to be the leg-spinners’ World Cup and if that is the case, he might be in action more often than expected.

7. Pakistan (8.5/10)

The flag bearer of their spin attack this time will be young Shadab Khan, who burst into the limelight with a sensational performance in the Champions Trophy 2017. He has a pretty simple action and straightish release point, which doesn’t give him a lot of turn but gets enough to deceive the batsmen on either side. He could be one of the best bowlers of the tournament if he gets good assistance from the other bowlers.

Imad Wasim has been bowling sensationally for them since landing in England three weeks back. He could be one of the dark horses in their lineup and also has the assistance of Haris Sohail. Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik are also available for their part-time spin, which gives them more decent spinning options than any other side in the tournament.

8. South Africa (7/10)

It could’ve been a 6.5/10 for South Africa’s spin attack, but Imran Tahir‘s sheer brilliance in recent times earns them some additional rating. He is right up there among the best spinners in the last five years or so and is coming into the tournament after winning a purple cap in the IPL. He has the experience, he has the form, the signs look ever so threatening to face him right now.

Apart from cricket’s most famous sprinter, they have Tabraiz Shamsi in the lineup. Shamsi has not played a lot of International cricket, but his Chinaman magic has been working well in the domestic circuit back in South Africa. They have another very capable part-time option in JP Duminy, who can crank up some good overs if he gets a place in the XI.

9. Sri Lanka (5/10)

They do have a decent number of options in the squad, but none of them have the experience of handling pressure at this level or a proven match-winning record in International cricket. Who would’ve imagined Sri Lanka to have one of the least effective spin attacks in an ICC tournament having produced the likes of Muttiah Muralitharan and Rangana Herath in the past.

Jeffrey Vandersay has shown some promise with his leg breaks but is just 10-matches old in this format. Jeevan Mendis and Milinda Siriwardana are the other options, among whom only one might get into the XI. It is difficult to predict if these players can produce a few match-winning performances at the greatest stage possible.

10. Windies (3/10)

When Ashley Nurse is your first choice spinner in a 15-man squad, that squad is definitely not good enough to get into playoffs. With due respect to the 30-year-old off-spinner, it is still a crazy puzzle for fans and experts to understand how he got into the squad ahead of Roston Chase and Devendra Bishoo. Finger spinners will not enjoy bowling in these conditions and all they have is two finger spinners in the squad.

Fabian Allen is the other spinner in the side, who is not going to get a lot of games. The young all-rounder has taken just one wicket in his ODI career in seven games and it is tough to consider him as a proper spin option. Chris Gayle is another part-time option but he has not bowled in a long time and might not bowl in this tournament as well. Their spin attack barring Nurse is virtually nonexistent.