CW's Ranking of Spinners (Tests)

[kyear2]

Still unlikely. Warne had a good pace attack to bring new batsmen to the crease. Murali only had Vaas. Still he averages better than Warne.

Friendlier home pitches and more opportunities vs minnows ??‍.

Not making an arguments for one or the other, just saying there are factors on both sides

I think they're equal tbh. And don't think either are as good as to top 3 fast bowlers, but close to the next two or so.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

He was electric in his younger days. Probably the best exponent of caught an bowls.

Roger Harper and Chris Harris are clearly the top 2 for c & b.

 

[a massive zebra]

I have zero doubts that if Warne played with Muralis pitches and team composition and that many minnow games he would end up with similar numbers as Murali.

I completely disagree.

I'm not convinced Warne's stats would have improved that much if he had played Bangladesh and Zimbabwe as much as Murali. Don't get me wrong, Warne was an iconic matchwinner who won many Tests against quality opposition including plenty against Australia's old enemy, and put in a match winning performance in a world cup final. But he simply wasn't the sort of player who decimated the weaker teams. He was the kind of big match bowler who could use his innovative bowling brain to pick his game up for the big matches in order to maintain the same level of effectiveness at the highest level of the game as he achieved in first class and even first grade cricket. For instance, he averaged 26 for St Kilda in first grade cricket, 35 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, 27 for Hampshire in the county championship, 27 in Tests against Bangladesh and 23 in Tests against Zimbabwe. In 156 first class matches excluding Tests, he took 10 wickets in a match just twice. These aren't the kind of figures one would expect of a bowler capable of really cashing in against minnows. You might say he only he only played a handful of Tests against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. But he played his entire career for Victoria, over 50 matches for St Kilda and several seasons for Hampshire.

By comparison, Murali averaged 14 in the county championship, 13 against Bangladesh and 16 against Zimbabwe - pretty much half Warne's average against the corresponding opposition. And there aren't really any teams of first grade standard or higher for whom Warne played more than a handful of matches and consistently dominated to the extent Murali did against Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and in the county championship. He simply wasn't that sort of bowler.

 

[a massive zebra]

I'm 50/50 between Murali and O'Reilly, but I'll go for Murali because he played for a lot longer and did way more at the highest level. Not 100% convinced he was a better bowler though.

 

[Slifer]

I'm 50/50 between Murali and O'Reilly, but I'll go for Murali because he played for a lot longer and did way more at the highest level. Not 100% convinced he was a better bowler though.

Yeah, Bill seem like a nightmare to face. Too bad his body of work wasn't a lil more.

 

[kyear2]

Same way Headley or Pollock can't and shouldn't be considered for top 5 consideration, don't think O'Reilly should factor in before the no. 3 slot.

 

[Line and Length]

I think the Murali v Warne debate has been done to death. Judging by the votes they will be 1 and 2, so let's get on to voting for the places that follow - no need to declare a number 1 and then vote for a number 2 as the result is beyond question.

 

[gftw]

Warne - 12
O'Reilly - 3
Murali - 16

The List
1. Muttiah Muralitharan
2. Shane Warne

The vote for the #3 test spinner of all-time begins now.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Ajaz Patel

 

[Line and Length]

Jim Laker

 

[ataraxia]

O'Reilly

 

[subshakerz]

O Reilly

 

[kyear2]

William O'Reilly

 

[trundler]

Body Odour'Reilly

 

[HookShot]

Bill O’Reilly

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

O'Reilly

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I figured O'Reilly would win this fairly comfortably, hence the joke vote for Ajaz

 

[Slifer]

Bill O'Reilly.

 

[Migara]

Roger Harper and Chris Harris are clearly the top 2 for c & b.

OK.

 

[Migara]

I doubt it,off spinners don't have great numbers in Australia,He would have done great away from home,but at home I don't think so maybe he will average most likely close to 30.

Put Murali on any pitch against NZ, ENG, SAF and WI teams of the day, he will trounce them. Moreover with the bowling support. He may struggle against India, but never bowling with SG ball (what he bowled in India against India, a kookaburra in SL) he may have had better figures. Infact Murali on homes of above teams have done better than Warne with exception of SAF.