Who is the best spinner in test cricket at present?

[Making_Splinters]

Herath is the only truely good spinner around at the moment with Ajmal being banned.

[andy]

just out of intrest, who voted Tahir?

[shankycricket]

just out of intrest, who voted Tahir?

Powelly or some other Hants fan, I guess.

Thankfully, no one has voted for Ashwin.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Averages since 2011 against top eight sides, minimum 40 wickets.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

Given retirements, suspensions, clearly Herath.

[hopeforthebest]

Averages since 2011 against top eight sides, minimum 40 wickets.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

Given retirements, suspensions, clearly Herath.

How many games outside the sub continent I wonder. I suspect Lyon has taken most of his wickets in less friendly conditions.

[Arthur Crabtree]

He did a lot worse in Asia though.

[meninblue]

Herath imo. If given an option between Herath and Lyon, i would opt to have Herath in my team.

[Dr Cricket]

Averages since 2011 against top eight sides, minimum 40 wickets.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

Given retirements, suspensions, clearly Herath.

How many games outside the sub continent I wonder. I suspect Lyon has taken most of his wickets in less friendly conditions.

Lol what a joke of a comment.
Lyon failed in Asian conditions.
I hate people that look down on Asian conditions.

as for spinner ability it is close between Lyon and Herath, but I would probably take Herath ahead of Lyon.
Herath is a better spinner in asian condition, better variation and can keep it tight in first innings or Asia.
Lyon is good in Australian, Bouncier conditions since he uses top spin more but that doesn't work in Asian condition.

Herath would probably have far better stats if he still wasn't the main wicket threat in Australia, South africa and England tours, he was brilliant in his last two tours to Australia and South africa but he tends to bowl lots of overs in conditions where pace bowlers should bowl more.

[meninblue]

Averages since 2011 against top eight sides, minimum 40 wickets.

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine ... pe=bowling

Given retirements, suspensions, clearly Herath.

How many games outside the sub continent I wonder. I suspect Lyon has taken most of his wickets in less friendly conditions.

Lol what a joke of a comment.
Lyon failed in Asian conditions.
I hate people that look down on Asian conditions.

as for spinner ability it is close between Lyon and Herath, but I would probably take Herath ahead of Lyon.
Herath is a better spinner in asian condition, better variation and can keep it tight in first innings or Asia.
Lyon is good in Australian, Bouncier conditions since he uses top spin more but that doesn't work in Asian condition.

Herath would probably have far better stats if he still wasn't the main wicket threat in Australia, South africa and England tours, he was brilliant in his last two tours to Australia and South africa but he tends to bowl lots of overs in conditions where pace bowlers should bowl more.

Although, i do feel Herath is better, i do not feel we are comparing Lyon with Warne or Chandrashekhar,Bedi,Prassanna,Kumble to dismiss the comment so easily . And often many see the conditions (challenging ones), opposition strength teams etc .

[Dr Cricket]

Not sure people can use Asian conditions for Spinner or pace bowlers to say which one is better mainly because Subcontinental spinner/pace bowlers do better in Asian conditions than Eng/Aus/SA bowlers and vice versa.

Most of this is because bowlers know which line/length to bowl or know how to get reverse swing or the most pace/bounce out of the wickets which the touring bowlers often find it hard to do in a consistent basis.

[GarlicJam]

Ravi Ashwin
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Daylight
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Ravi Jadeja

Rest of the pack

The question was Test cricket, not the sub-continent.

Although, he did do pretty well in Melbourne last week.

[GarlicJam]

There being a few spinners on the list that I haven't seen (Ali, Babar, and the 40 Thieves - sorry, Craig), so I, too, went for Herath.

[shankycricket]

Ravi Ashwin
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Daylight
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Ravi Jadeja

Rest of the pack

The question was Test cricket, not the sub-continent.

Although, he did do pretty well in Melbourne last week.

Think you missed the sarcasm in his post.

[sussexpob]

Best spinner in the world cant take a wicket away from the ranging bunsens of his home country, and the second best went for figures of 3/450 in his last completed series, and has never looked anything more than average in the long term.... yay for spin bowling!

While I dont disagree about the merits of the assigned position in relation to the argument, what this does prove is the sheer dearth of spinning talent in the world currently. Maybe also highlights just how special the 15 year period of 1995-2010 was in the history of this art form, as we were truly blessed with cricketers who would walk into teams now.

The question..... has the spinner clampdown on throwing uncovered how many players may have been flexing the rules, as well as their elbows, as no spinner is really looking the part since?

[GarlicJam]

Think you missed the sarcasm in his post.

I may well have.


I'll blame it on it being late at night.