Best spinner right now

[shankycricket]

Like I said before Lyon stats are so misleading just like Ashwin or Sub C spinners outside asia are misleading.

having 3-4 quality pace bowlers makes a huge difference in Aus/NZ/Eng/sa

Anyway Lyon biggest weakness is probably that he isn't that great in taking wickets when it turns and I never really saw him being a wicket taking threat but he is good at keeping things tight and a holding bowler.

Both Lyon and Ashwin are good at home and poor away. Both have shown improvements in recent times that makes one feel they can now adapt away from home as well. Lyon did win a Test against BCCI at Adelaide on his own. And whilst having 3-4 quality pace bowlers alongside you makes a difference in Aus, having another quality spinner alongside you makes a huge difference in Asia as well. In each of Ashwin's series in India, he has had a partner alongside him doing equally well, if not better. Ojha, Jadeja and Mishra. Whenever Ashwin has played as the sole spinner i.e. overseas he has struggled. A team nearly chased down 450 odd on Day 5 against a team with Ashwin as the lead spinner. He failed against the only quality opposition he has played in Asia till now. So how is he any better than Lyon?

(By the way, I'm not saying Ashwin hasn't improved on those aspects. I highly doubt he'd have a home series as bad as the one against England now even against a better opponent in the future or bowl as badly as he did on Day 5 at Jo'burg). Its just that you have completely hidden away all his negatives and are focusing only on the positives whereas looking at Lyon's negatives only. You seem to have even overlooked him taking 11 (ELEVEN) wickets in a Test against the supposedly best players of spin last year in saying "I never really saw him being a great wicket taking threat". When did an offspinner last do that in Australia????. Certainly not including him in the poll at all is downright arrogant and insulting. Its as if you want to say Ashwin and Yasir Shah (who hasn't even played outside Asia till now) are in a vastly different class, which isn't simply true. They are all on a similar level. Seems to me that you are more interested in people sucking up to your favourites rather than looking for a genuine opinion by giving only 2 options, who are by no means vastly better than some of the others. Might as well have restricted to "Ashwin or other" in that case!!!

[Making_Splinters]

I think the options given at the top of this poll very much showed there is a preconceived right answer to the question.

There aren't actually any spinners playing at present who have proved themselves all round the world. The top domestic spinners in Herath and Ashwin both average the wrong side of 35 away from home and Shah hasn't played a single test outside of the UAE.

So, the answer is pretty simple. There isn't a player you can point at and say they are the best, in Sri Lanka I'd have Herath, in India I'd have Ashwin, in the UAE I'd have Shah and in England, South Africa or Australia I'd take Lyon along.

[shankycricket]

Well said though currently I'd have Ashwin and Shah over Herath anywhere in Asia as their recent tours to SL proved when both comfortably outbowled the ageing Herath.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Breaking the world into two halves: Aus/NZ/SA/Eng and Ind/UAE/WI/SL, these are the wickets and averages of spinners playing now outside their zone.

Since 2010. So not exactly right now...

Panesar 33 at 26
Lyon 47 at 38
Herath 37 at 40
Craig 25 at 41
Harbhajan 17 at 43
Moeen 12 at 44
Jadeja 18 at 46
Ashwin 24 at 57

Although you'd expect the Asian pitches to help the alien spinners than Aus/etc to help the Asians.

The search mainly highlighted how special Swann was.

[Dr Cricket]

Good post Shanky take my hands up and say I forgot Lyon.
When I made the post was really only looking to compare between Ashwin and Y shah considering they both playing a crucial role in the team this month.