10 best wrist spinners of all time

The success of Kuldeep Yadav in recent matches has once again underlined the importance of wrist spinners in international cricket.

Compared to finger spinners, wrist spinners are more attacking and have better chances of claiming a wicket. However bowling wrist spin is a tricky task as it requires tremendous practice to gain the control over spin.

Let us look at the famous wrist-spinners in international cricket who made a massive impact with their spin bowling.

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#10. Shahid Afridi

During his international career, Shahid Afridi was identified as a power hitting batsman who could also bowl. But very quietly, Afridi completed his bowling quota in every match and after featuring in ODI cricket for almost two decades, emerged as the second highest wicket-taker in the spin department.

Afridi's leg-spin bowling is almost impossible to get away in the shorter format of the game and the numbers justify this claim. The Pakistani bowler has to his name 395 ODI wickets and 271 wickets in T20s.

As a spinner, Afridi rarely turns the ball but what he does extremely well is that he bowls in the right areas and with the right pace. These ingredients have made him a very economical bowler in the ODI and T20 cricket.

#9.Danish Kaneria

Pakistan's most successful spinner, Danesh Kaneria ended his career with 261 Test wickets. His leg-spinners turned significantly and he had the skill to purchase bounce from relatively dry surfaces.

A key member of the Pakistani Test team during the first decade of the 21st century, Kaneria picked wickets on all kinds of surfaces thanks to his resilient attitude and probing bowling.

In 2005, he bowled 49 overs on a lifeless Sydney pitch and claimed seven Australian wickets. That bowling performance exhibited the strength and class of Kaneria as a bowler for all conditions.

Such glorious career of Kaneria ended on a bitter note. In 2012, he was banned for life by ECB on charges of corruption.

#8.Abdul Qadir

England's tormenter during the 1970s and 80s, Abdul Qadir had a body of a spin bowler and a heart of a pacer. His variations were lethal and control commendable but whats set him apart was his tremendous temperament and skillful leg-break bowling.

He ended his career with 236 wickets in 67 Tests but his legacy lies in the fact that he innovated and popularized the art of wrist spin bowling when there weren't many patrons of this art available.

Qadir was Imran Khan's ace bowling weapon and he also left his mark in ODIs as well. The Pakistani spinner featured in more than hundred ODIs and has 132 ODI scalps to his name.

#7. Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra arrived to international cricket very late but he arrived with a bang as he claimed a five-wicket haul in his debut innings. Playing for Haryana, Mishra established himself as an accurate leg-spinner during the 2000s in India's domestic cricket.

However, the presence of Kumble and Harbhajan meant, Mishra had to wait for his chances. Kumble's retirement brought Mishra in the limelight but his erratic performances and failure in overseas matches resulted in his omission from the Test team.

The leg-spinner then focused on the shorter format of the game and has emerged as a quality T20 bowler. He has more than 200 wickets in T20s and is a has created a reputation for himself in the IPL.

Mishra still is in the reckoning and has chances of making a comeback in the Indian Test team courtesy of his improved bowling and matured thinking.

#6. Richie Benaud

The man who inspired the great Shane Warne, Richie Benaud was a probing bowler who could produce wickets from nowhere.

The Australian bowler evolved consistently throughout his career and his sharp mind added to his venom in bowling.His control on the spin was perfect and he found the right length quickly.

Benaud claimed 16 five-wicket hauls in his career spanning 116 innings and played a significant role in Australia's overseas tours in the 1950's.The leg-spinner ended his career with 248 wickets in 63 Tests and had an average of 27.03. His record in the first-class cricket is even more prolific. In 259 first-class games, he picked up 945 wickets.

#5. Subhash Gupte

Subhash Gupte

Subhash Gupte could turn the ball massively and had complete control over his line and lengths. His googly was near perfect and he had the audacity to flight the ball liberally.

Courtesy of all these features, Gupte emerged as one of the best leg spinners in the world and on his day he was simply unstoppable.

After playing 36 Tests he claimed 149 wickets and looked set to conquer a lot more. But an unfortunate incident during the 1961/2 England series ended his career abruptly.

A. G. Kripal Singh, Gupte's roommate in the hotel had called up the receptionist to fix a date with her. This act didn't go down well with the team-manager and both Gupte and Singh were dropped from the team on disciplinary grounds.

#4. Bhagwat Chandrasekhar

One of the prominent members of India's famous spin quartet, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar was an effective leg spinner who could wreck batting orders with his sublime bowling.

242 wickets in 58 Tests at an average of 29.74 is a testimony to his craftsmanship but what made Chandrasekhar different from other bowlers was his ability to purchase turn on tracks that provided no support to spinners.

He was significant in overseas Tests where the pitches were unsuited for spinners. His sensational bowling action along with his variations kept the batsmen guessing.

Chandra played a pivotal role in India's first Test series win in England in 1971 by picking six wickets in the Oval Test.

#3. Mushtaq Ahmed

Mushtaq Ahmed's Test career spanned for 13 years but during this long career, he featured in only 52 Tests.

Except for the period between 1995 to 1998, Mushtaq's career was average and dull. However, everyone who witnessed his leg break bowling during those three golden years was convinced that he belonged at the top in the spin department.

His googlies were too good for batsmen to read and his lengths were mostly deceptive. His finest period came on the tour of Australia in 1995. He produced two five-wicket hauls in the Test series and in the subsequent Test against New Zealand registered figures of seven for 56 which is his best performance in Tests.

The leg-spinner has 185 wickets to his name in 52 Tests and along with 161 ODI wickets.

#2. Anil Kumble

With 958 international wickets, Anil Kumble is India's greatest bowler ever. His tally of 619 wickets puts him at number three in the list of spinners with most Test wickets. And he is also one of the only two bowlers who has achieved the rare feat of claiming all ten wickets in an inning.

However, more than his numbers what defines Kumble is his grit, sportsmanship, and the ability of not giving up. He once bowled with a broken jaw in a Test match and sent back Brian Lara with his bowling.

He started his career as a medium-pacer but then settled down as a leg-spinner. As a spinner, he lacked the ability to purchase turn but that couldn't deter him from tormenting batsmen across the world. Kumble used his height to purchase bounce and bowled tidy lines for long periods to keep the batsmen glued at one place. His variations were effective as well.

The leg-spinner retired in 2008 as one of India's most valuable players in Test cricket.

#1.Shane Warne

The world's most successful leg-spinner of all time, Shane Warne was a maverick who could not only turn the ball immensely but could also turn the fate of the game easily. He was an essential cog of the Australian team that dominated world cricket in the 1990s and 2000s.

Immaculate control and humungous turn were key weapons in Warne's armory but what made him highly successful was his street-smart brain and shrewd mind. He planned his strategies effectively and had something in his bag for every batsman.

He was also a force to reckon with in the ODIs and shifted the momentum of the 1999 world-cup semi-final with his master class bowling.