Why Laker, Prasanna remain better off-spinners than Murali, Bhajji
......Why is Laker on top of the pile for us? Not for his immortal 19 for 90 against Australia at Manchester in 1956, which feat anyway would rank as the most remarkable in the entire history of Test cricket. He was for us indisputably the first ever off-spinner of great impact and the most complete off-spinner. The Wisden Illustrated History of Cricket, 1989, by Vic Marks (English off spinner incidentally), says, “Laker possessed all the necessary qualities – a classical action, superb control of flight and spin, and the ability to assess swiftly his opponent’s strengths and weaknesses….” Apparently batsmen could hear the ball fizzing on its way to them and many found the ball was not really there when they went to drive it. We have this memorable story about Laker: After finishing off Australia at Manchester (the 19 wickets) Laker quietly drove off home. On his way, he stopped at a pub for a pint of ale. A group of people at the pub were watching the Test match highlights, saw Laker on the bar stool and remarked that the chap looks like Laker. Laker, enigmatic as ever, quietly continued quaffing on his ale!
Laker, incredibly had taken all 10 wickets earlier that season for Surrey against the Australians on a not particularly spiteful wicket — a fact that many do not remember. So his subsequent performance in the Manchester Test was not a flash in the pan. Five years earlier in a Test trial at Bradford, he had the unbelievable figures of 8 wickets for 2 runs against the Rest of England. In spite of all these figures and the fact that from 1948 he was the best off-spinner in the country over the next decade, Laker was overlooked for both the 1951 tour and the 54-55 trips to Australia. Simply because he was always viewed distrustfully by the establishment! So whimsical selection policies everywhere seems to be a part of cricket history.
Laker’s shoes were impossible to fill for the Englishmen who followed him. Titmus and Allen no doubt had their own golden moments. Titmus was such a chirpy loquacious character, that one of his teammates memorably said, that he probably took catches in mid-sentence! But these bowlers had clean classical actions as does Graeme Swann today. Swann has never bowled the Doosra, but he has a wicked well-disguised straighter one and complete control of his spin, flight and pace. He is right up there among the greatest for us although the recent Tests against Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2012 are forgettable for him.
Why Laker, Prasanna remain better off-spinners than Murali, Bhajji - Firstpost
