Best Players of Spin

[Hurricane]

BJ Watling, Tim Mcintosh, meh after that....

 

[Debris]

Bradman, Walters, Lara, Azharuddin, Miandad

Admittedly, I have only seen clips of Bradman.

 

[TT Boy]

surely Younis Khan has to be there, best batsman I have seen against Kumble in Indian conditions.

I never thought Younis was a great player of spin but without doing a full analysis he must have one of the highest dismissed by fast bowling ratios going. Played 38 test matches against Aus, England, NZ, RSA and the West Indies and he has only been dismissed by spin 11 times. Probably much higher against India and Sri Lanka but he has a top record against those nations.

 

[centurymaker]

btw this is like the 35th time we have had this thread....

 

[smash84]

Among those I have seen 'live':

1. Brian Lara
2. Javed Miandad
3. Mohammad Azharuddin
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Navjot Singh Sidhu

Javed Miandad. Probably the finest player of spin bowling that I have ever seen. Had such nimble and lightning footwork against spinners. Would never let them settle down. Would go down the wicket to disturb the length or even cut those deliveries that were not too short.

Azharudding is also another name that comes to mind then great players of spin are considered.

Saleem Malik, the first man to really dominate Shane Warne

My list would be

1) Javed Miandad
2) Brian Lara
3) Azharuddin
4) Saleem Malik
5) Chokedulkar

 

[weldone]

While rating all the batsmen he has bowled to, Muralitharan rated Lara at no. 1, Azharuddin at no. 2 and Tendulkar at no. 3...and understandably so. Azharuddin has demolished Murali time and again. He has demolished Warne quite a few times as well. There's a particular scorecard I remembered where Azharuddin scored 150-odd in an innings and Warne went wicketless for about 150! That series went pathetic for Warne. Azharuddin, Tendukar and Sidhu had him for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Azharuddin has scored close to 7-10 centuries against Warne and Murali combined if I am not wrong. Can we have some of those absolute Murali and Warne demolition videos from youtube?

 

[robelinda]

Already done Azhars two tons vs Australia, vs Warne.

Mohammad Azharuddin 163* vs Australia 2nd test 1998 - YouTube


Mohammad Azharuddin 106 vs Australia 1992 Adelaide 4th test - YouTube

 

[weldone]

Already done Azhars two tons vs Australia, vs Warne.

Mohammad Azharuddin 163* vs Australia 2nd test 1998 - YouTube


Mohammad Azharuddin 106 vs Australia 1992 Adelaide 4th test - YouTube

Where can I see the list of all the cricket-related videos posted by you on youtube? I need to add that page to my favorites.

 

[Migara]

Seen many great players of spin, but how many great players of great spin bowling? Ive seen many Indians dominate weak spinners in India, but only really seen a few innings where they played some great spinners REALLY well. Obviously Lara vs SL 2001, Sehwag v SL 201*, Sachin 155*and shocking to some (but to those who watched it) but Ricky Ponting played Murali as good as anyone in 1999 on extremely helpful spinning wickets, played him easily compared to the rest of the batsmen on that tour, but he really hasn't had many problems ever with Murali- the sign of a great player.

Sidhu's feats vs Murali and Warne is a highlight. Ranatunga played Warne and Kumble well as anybody. Although Cullinan and spin don't go hand in hand, he played Murali and Kumble so well, it was just painstaking to see him fail against Warne.

 

[weldone]

Among players from outside the subcontinent, Andy Flower, Steve Waugh, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla are the best against spin that I've seen live.

 

[Migara]

Among players from outside the subcontinent, Andy Flower, Steve Waugh, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla are the best against spin that I've seen live.

Late Cronje, Carl Hooper, Ponting, Crowe, Jones are the best I've seen from non-SC. Mark Waugh was an enigma, was magical against some spinners, and rank **** against others.

 

[Spark]

Late Cronje, Carl Hooper, Ponting, Crowe, Jones are the best I've seen from non-SC. Mark Waugh was an enigma, was magical against some spinners, and rank **** against others.

Mark Waugh's career in a sentence tbh.

 

[sumantra]

Among players from outside the subcontinent, Andy Flower, Steve Waugh, Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla are the best against spin that I've seen live.

that is very good list...out of all the test matches that i have seen, played in last about 20 years in india...andy flower stands apart from anyone else...

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

surely Younis Khan has to be there, best batsman I have seen against Kumble in Indian conditions.

Outstanding player of spin! A very good shout indeed. His knock in Bangalore was a fine exhibition on how to play spin bowling. The way he smothered the turn and Kumble's spiteful bounce with his long reach - almost getting down so low that he could kiss the pitch - was stuff that makes cricket viewing so delectable.

Younis Khan and Andy Flower negated Kumble on Indian conditions in a way that not many other batsmen quite managed to achieve.

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

Surprised to see that no one has mentioned Gary Sobers or Clive Lloyd so far. Sobers could be a fair contender for one of the greatest natural players against spin.

And from what I've gathered, the big Guyanese was superb against the Indian spin trio/quartet in Indian conditions and was often the sheet anchor around which Windian totals were built. Gavaskar, Prasanna, Chandra and others rate him right up there.
Guys who possibly would have seen him live; any recollections?

 

[L Trumper]

Surprised to see that no one has mentioned Gary Sobers or Clive Lloyd so far. Sobers could be a fair contender for one of the greatest natural players against spin.

And from what I've gathered, the big Guyanese was superb against the Indian spin trio/quartet in Indian conditions and was often the sheet anchor around which Windian totals were built. Gavaskar, Prasanna, Chandra and others rate him right up there.
Guys who possibly would have seen him live; any recollections?

Not seen live myself, But have it on a good authority that older generation in India generally consider him to be the best overseas batsmen against spin quartet (he may not faced all of them). I think WI toured India in mid 70s when Big Cat was immense : Debut tour of richards and greenidge if my memory serves correct.

 

[subshakerz]

I myself wouldn't put Tendulkar in the top top bracket for playing spin, though overall he was excellent. At times he seemed a bit too rigid, and you need to be a bit flexible and use a lot more wrist to adapt to all spinners. He was great at reading spinners though.

Would add Saeed Anwar, did well against Warne, Murali and Kumble. Rarely seemed uncomfortable against spin. We seem to forget that back in the 80s and for some of the 90s, Pakistanis were almost as good as Indians when it came to playing spin.

Past great players of spin not mentioned I think:

Gavaskar
Zaheer Abbas
Kalicharan
Sobers

 

[Slifer]

Not seen live myself, But have it on a good authority that older generation in India generally consider him to be the best overseas batsmen against spin quartet (he may not faced all of them). I think WI toured India in mid 70s when Big Cat was immense : Debut tour of richards and greenidge if my memory serves correct.

TBH Kallicharan was also an immense player of spin. His overall stats, may not be reflective of his talents but vs spin he was a demon.

 

[subshakerz]

One interesting tactic of Malik's to counter Warne was batting well outside leg stump, almost at 4th or 5th stump, I believe to mess up Warne's line. Wonder if other batsmen used this tactic.

 

[smash84]

I think Alec Stewart tried something similar or at least had a very awkward stance against Warne. Not sure if it worked that well for him