Top 7 Spinners

[Flem274*]

I think some folks have been a little harsh on Narine, yes he was poor in Bangladesh but at home to NZ he was brilliant, as a young player he's gonna have ups and downs but if he keeps performing at home for now then i'll take that, as eventually it's bound to click away too.

And my top seven would be..

Ajmal
Swann
Hereth
Ojha
Monty
Narine
Rehman

Our lad Permaul bowled well in Bangladesh so hopefully he can throw his name into the discussion in the future.

the big phrase in that post.

 

[WindieWeathers]

the big phrase in that post.

LOL you disagree with that statement Flem?

12 wickets in two tests is decent imo

 

[smash84]

I think phlegm meant that he was only good because he was playing at home

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I think phlegm meant that he was only good because he was playing at home

Also against a weak side.

 

[cnerd123]

Ajmal
Swann
Monty
Herath
Rehman
Ojha
Lyon

 

[GIMH]

Pietersen belongs in these lists, got some gun figures this year

 

[watson]

Pietersen belongs in these lists, got some gun figures this year

14 Tests - 36 overs - 5 wickets at 29.40 runs each - SR of 43..2

 

[Prince EWS]

This is going to be pretty controversial, but I think I'd have Lyon in the top five. He's going to end up having a less impressive career on paper to someone like Herath because Australian conditions are so unsuited to his art, but I don't see that much difference between him and Swann. They both put a lot of revs on the ball and are very accurate which are really all you need. Where I think Swann has it over him is ability to vary the the sidespin:overspin ratio more by changing the angle of the seam, a better armball and - one thing that I think will change in time - the ability to bowl really long spells on consecutive days. Lyon even said himself as soon as he was introduced into First Class cricket that the too-clever-by-half Futures League had left him ill-prepared for the rigures of four and five day cricket and I think he'll get better at that as time goes on. Even now though I'd take him ahead of Herath, Rehman and Ojha who seem to be making people's top fives and I'd think about him ahead of Panesar depending on the needs of the side as well.

Ajmal/Swann is still a lot closer than I think people realise too. Ajmal is a killer bowler on low surfaces that turn but he doesn't beat batsmen in the air or get the ball to dip anywhere near as well as Swann which makes Swann the trickier customer outside Asia and the West Indies. It'll be really interesting to see how Ajmal does in South Africa; huge Test for him especially considering how well Swann and Herath have gone there at times. As it stands though I do think Ajmal is more of a potential match-winner even if Swann is a better all round bowler so he's probably worth more.

I'd go with something like:

1. Ajmal
2. Swann
3. Panesar
4. Lyon
5. Rehman
6. Herath
7. Shakib

 

[smash84]

Ajmal/Swann is still a lot closer than I think people realise too. Ajmal is a killer bowler on low surfaces that turn but he doesn't beat batsmen in the air or get the ball to dip anywhere near as well as Swann which makes Swann the trickier customer outside Asia and the West Indies. It'll be really interesting to see how Ajmal does in South Africa; huge Test for him especially considering how well Swann and Herath have gone there at times. As it stands though I do think Ajmal is more of a potential match-winner even if Swann is a better all round bowler so he's probably worth more.

I'd go with something like:

1. Ajmal
2. Swann
3. Panesar
4. Lyon
5. Rehman
6. Herath
7. Shakib

I don't think people think that there is daylight between Ajmal and Swann.

It is very close. The only thing that probably tilts it in Ajmal's favor (IMO) is the fact that he bowls a very straight trajectory and can move it both into and away from the batsman getting some zip on the ball at the same time without any noticeable change in the action. When he settles into a rhythm those kinds of deliveries can be very dangerous because the batsman can get caught in the slips, can be out bat pad or if he gets hit in line then might get LBW.

Swann's stock delivery definitely the better one and he can deceive more in flight and the amount of turn.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

the big phrase in that post.

the spin bowling equivalent of hooking up with a chick who's had six smirnoff double blacks

 

[hendrix]

don't get why people are rating Panesar so highly.

He's had one good series, and he's about the most one-dimensional spinner going around. Not saying that his stock ball isn't good, just that i've never seen him outthink a batsman or really work a plan with any kind of variation.

 

[Prince EWS]

don't get why people are rating Panesar so highly.

He's had one good series, and he's about the most one-dimensional spinner going around. Not saying that his stock ball isn't good, just that i've never seen him outthink a batsman or really work a plan with any kind of variation.

I agree, but I think Rehman is a very similar bowler and while Herath is a lot cannier, he just doesn't put enough on it. The rest don't really do that much for me at this stage. I reckon Lyon will overtake Panesar pretty quickly.

 

[slowfinger]

Who are the Top 7 spinners in the world ATM?
Rank them.


Spinners-
Ajmal, Rehman, Bishoo, Narine, Swann, Monty, Ojha, Ashwin, Lyon, Herath, Shakib, Randiv, Jeetan Patel, Vettori, Harbhajan, Mendis, Sunny, Tahir, Gazi, Afridi ....
(may have missed a potential top 7)



IMO

1) Ajmal
2) Swann
3) Monty
4) Herath
5) Rehman
6) Shakib
7) Ojha

(based on observation, not stats)




This should be fun

Where's Ashwin?

 

[Flem274*]

the spin bowling equivalent of hooking up with a chick who's had six smirnoff double blacks

No it isn't. What you've just described still counts.

 

[NUFAN]

This is going to be pretty controversial, but I think I'd have Lyon in the top five. He's going to end up having a less impressive career on paper to someone like Herath because Australian conditions are so unsuited to his art, but I don't see that much difference between him and Swann. They both put a lot of revs on the ball and are very accurate which are really all you need. Where I think Swann has it over him is ability to vary the the sidespin:overspin ratio more by changing the angle of the seam, a better armball and - one thing that I think will change in time - the ability to bowl really long spells on consecutive days. Lyon even said himself as soon as he was introduced into First Class cricket that the too-clever-by-half Futures League had left him ill-prepared for the rigures of four and five day cricket and I think he'll get better at that as time goes on. Even now though I'd take him ahead of Herath, Rehman and Ojha who seem to be making people's top fives and I'd think about him ahead of Panesar depending on the needs of the side as well.

Ajmal/Swann is still a lot closer than I think people realise too. Ajmal is a killer bowler on low surfaces that turn but he doesn't beat batsmen in the air or get the ball to dip anywhere near as well as Swann which makes Swann the trickier customer outside Asia and the West Indies. It'll be really interesting to see how Ajmal does in South Africa; huge Test for him especially considering how well Swann and Herath have gone there at times. As it stands though I do think Ajmal is more of a potential match-winner even if Swann is a better all round bowler so he's probably worth more.

So Lyon is almost as good as Ajmal yeah?

 

[Prince EWS]

So Lyon is almost as good as Ajmal yeah?

Yeah pretty much. There are only minor differences between Swann and Lyon and I wouldn't be surprised if Lyon reigned them in. Swann and Ajmal are very different bowlers with different strengths so it's a little harder to directly compare them. If Ajmal proves his style can be effective outside Asia/WI then it changes the game a lot though.

 

[benchmark00]

Just looking at Ajmal and Swann you can see there's clear daylight between them. There's not that much between Lyon and Swann though.

It's not like Swann is any more than mediocre outside the sub continent either. He's a very overrated bowler. Not a bad one, just a vastly overrated one.

 

[grecian]

In the end Ajmal hasn't played Tests in South Africa, only one in Australia, and was nothing more than okay in England. Let's see him have a more rounded career before we start saying there's daylight, between him and Swann.

 

[MW1304]

Just looking at Ajmal and Swann you can see there's clear daylight between them. There's not that much between Lyon and Swann though.

It's not like Swann is any more than mediocre outside the sub continent either. He's a very overrated bowler. Not a bad one, just a vastly overrated one.

Surely the fact that he's done so well in the subcontinent should see him rated even higher considering even the greatest spin bowlers can generally struggle there. In fact I think his tour of India hasn't really been appreciated here quite as much as it should have been, he was absolutely exceptional.

 

[benchmark00]

In the end Ajmal hasn't played Tests in South Africa, only one in Australia, and was nothing more than okay in England. Let's see him have a more rounded career before we start saying there's daylight, between him and Swann.

Nah look, there really is daylight.

It's unlikely he could end up with a much worse career outside of the sub cont than Swann given the latter's rank averageness outside the sub continent himself.

Seeing as though Ajmal is so so so much better than him in sub continental type conditions, I'm more than happy to call it.

Ajmal is by far the best of a generally average bunch.