Best spinner in the world today(tests) : Herath vs Ashwin vs Yasir Shah

[vitalogy83]

That's a good point. Most of the current ones look less like athletes and more like unhappily married low-level accountants leading lives of quiet desperation. We've had some shockers in the recent past too from Paul Wiseman to Kaneria to the king of them all in Ramesh Powar. Vettori seems like a rare exception.

In Herath's case he is ACTUALLY an employee at a Bank.

 

[Bijed]

Mehedi Hasan - don't understand why there is a debate tbh

I won't deny that he was extremely impressive in the Bangladesh vs England series, but he needs to get a bit fatter before we can start comparing him with the names in the poll.

 

[Bijed]

In Herath's case he is ACTUALLY an employee at a Bank.

Would explain why he's so good at dismissing batsmen before they can open their account.

Can you imagine how much more ugly Ashwin would be with a bigger forehead? Hire Faf, they should not.

He already has such a massive brain, imagine if it had the extra space a Faf-like forehead would give him.

 

[Athlai]

Miraz

 

[Furball]

Why are so many spinners are unfit, ugly and generally unathletic looking people? It's a blight on the sport. Every time one of my Chinese friends takes a peek at my stream they happen to see Ashwin going about his business and they shake their heads in disbelief at how this bloke is a professional athlete. How can you hope to attract any sort of following to the game like that? The SC teams in particular need to hire Faf as their trainer.

Because if they were athletic they would bowl fast or bat.

 

[vitalogy83]

Would explain why he's so good at dismissing batsmen before they can open their account.

Which probably makes him one of the worst Bank Clerks of all time. I'm surprised his Manager approves his leave requests all the time.

 

[Victor Ian]

Is there anything to the idea that being portly helps spin by way of imparting a more stable base. A petite bowler would lose part of the force exerted on the ball in their own counter contortion, whereas the fatty, with more mass, is less effected and so the ball goes forward truer?
Instead of wickets per match, perhaps spinners should be measured by way of wickets per kilogram. Who has the most ever wickets per kilogram? Perhaps the skinny alien of Lyon compares much better this way?

 

[cnerd123]

A lack of height certainly helps a spinner as you can get more loop without losing your length. But height helps you bowl quicker and extract bounce, so it depends on the style you want to bowl and the surfaces you play on.

I don't know if weight is a factor.

 

[Burgey]

How depressing is it when a 6'5" bloke turns up to preseason then says he's a spinner? Happened a few times at our club over the years. They get out of the car and you're thinking they'll take the new rock (they still would on the SC tbf) then they measure out a four step run and lob down an offie.

Breaks your heart.

 

[cnerd123]

How depressing is it when a 6'5" bloke turns up to preseason then says he's a spinner? Happened a few times at our club over the years. They get out of the car and you're thinking they'll take the new rock (they still would on the SC tbf) then they measure out a four step run and lob down an offie.

Breaks your heart.

Ollie Rayner | England Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[TheJediBrah]

How depressing is it when a 6'5" bloke turns up to preseason then says he's a spinner? Happened a few times at our club over the years. They get out of the car and you're thinking they'll take the new rock (they still would on the SC tbf) then they measure out a four step run and lob down an offie.

Breaks your heart.

You've seen that "club cricketer problems" video going around facebook I take it

 

[cnerd123]

You've seen that "club cricketer problems" video going around facebook I take it

Heh I googled it and it's actually pretty funny

 

[TheJediBrah]

That's a good point. Most of the current ones look less like athletes and more like unhappily married low-level accountants leading lives of quiet desperation. We've had some shockers in the recent past too from Paul Wiseman to Kaneria to the king of them all in Ramesh Powar. Vettori seems like a rare exception.

Vettori being considered "athletic"?

Maybe in comparison to Warne, Herath and co. but certainly not in general

 

[Howe_zat]

it is quite easily herath. he's proved he can turn matches by himself against the best sides in the world over the last 5 years.

Herath is gun but is this actually the case? seems like he just always cleans up when he has the runs to defend, especially in the 4th innings, rather than bringing SL back from behind. Can't think of an example of the latter recently

 

[Blocky]

Vettori being considered "athletic"?

Maybe in comparison to Warne, Herath and co. but certainly not in general

I'd argue Warne was more naturally athletic than Vettori, just highly lax towards his diet.

Vettori was such a lummox.

 

[Bijed]

Which probably makes him one of the worst Bank Clerks of all time. I'm surprised his Manager approves his leave requests all the time.

Tbh he bowls teams out so quickly he won't need to make many leave requests

 

[honestbharani]

The People's Champion - The People's Captain - Now, he is also, The People's Clerk.



WAFG.

 

[vitalogy83]

Herath is gun but is this actually the case? seems like he just always cleans up when he has the runs to defend, especially in the 4th innings, rather than bringing SL back from behind. Can't think of an example of the latter recently

This is true. He does incredibly well in the 4th innings. Which I guess is his job. My comment on turning matches on his own I guess is more directed towards him cleaning up - with or without big runs to defend.

However here is a recent example Herath getting SL back in the hunt
3rd Test: Sri Lanka v Australia at Colombo (SSC), Aug 13-17, 2016 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

SL 355
Aus 3-284, 379 a.o. Herath 6fer

 

[Victor Ian]

...shows spinner's class by showing the he bowled out Australians......in the subcontinent. I'm not sure that's as compelling as you think it might have been.

 

[morgieb]

Herath is gun but is this actually the case? seems like he just always cleans up when he has the runs to defend, especially in the 4th innings, rather than bringing SL back from behind. Can't think of an example of the latter recently

1st Test: Sri Lanka v India at Galle, Aug 12-15, 2015 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo would be recent enough.