Players who've overcome physical disadvantages

[Richard]

i know its not rocket science but if someone says ''Giles is a legspinner to right handers and an offspinner to left handers'', then wot is he? Isn,t it easier to say that Giles is left arm orthodox.

That's the precise point I was making.
Fingerspin and wristspin are much the more sensible definitions.

 

[Son Of Coco]

He spins the ball from the off to right-handed batsmen only.
To a left-hander he spins it from the leg.

It's judged on stock-balls. Which is why it's silly to classify Saqlain an off-break\leg-break bowler (as Wisden has done) because his stock-ball is an off-break-to-the-right-hander.

The same proof that any spinner is not a fingerspinner.
All bowlers use the fingers to grip the ball, but the spin is imparted by the wrist. Whereas a "fingerspinner" imparts the spin without really using the wrist.

The definitions re: a bowler and what they bowl are all judged on bowling to right-handers if you're a right-handed bowler and left-handers if you're a left-handed bowler - it's really not that hard to understand and it's never changed depending on who you're bowling to.

Doesn't your second paragraph about Saqlain cancel out what you've said in the first?

I think you'll find that's wrong, the very reason off-spinners are called 'finger spinners' is because they use their fingers to impart spin on the ball (I'm not denying the wrist plays a part too, but the fingers are the more important of the two). It has more to do with the position of the hand and the action used to bowl off-spinners and leg-spinners. Leg-spinners (or wrist-spinners) get more turn generally due to the wrist playing a larger part, but the fingers also play some part in getting the ball to turn - even if that part is very small.

 

[Richard]

The definitions re: a bowler and what they bowl are all judged on bowling to right-handers if you're a right-handed bowler and left-handers if you're a left-handed bowler - it's really not that hard to understand and it's never changed depending on who you're bowling to.

And the point is - especially nowadays - there are so many left-handers it's misleading.

Doesn't your second paragraph about Saqlain cancel out what you've said in the first?

No, the point is that all bowlers are judged on their stock-ball - leg-break-googly is another stupid one - are you really going to call Murali OBW (off-break\wrong-'un)? Or Gough RAFSB (right-arm-fast\slower-ball). No. All definitions are on the stock-ball.

I think you'll find that's wrong, the very reason off-spinners are called 'finger spinners' is because they use their fingers to impart spin on the ball (I'm not denying the wrist plays a part too, but the fingers are the more important of the two). It has more to do with the position of the hand and the action used to bowl off-spinners and leg-spinners. Leg-spinners (or wrist-spinners) get more turn generally due to the wrist playing a larger part, but the fingers also play some part in getting the ball to turn - even if that part is very small.

Look, I know that - it's just the simple thing that "wristspinner" and "fingerspinner" are far easier to say that "primarily-wrist-but-fingers-play-a-tiny-little-part-spinner" and primarily-fingers-but-wrist-plays-a-tiny-little-part-spinner". Yes?
And according to tec wristspinners don't get much more turn than fingerspinners, no.