5 young spinners who can go on to become world beaters

Lakshan Sandaka, Sri Lanka
Lakshan could be the next big thing for Sri Lanka

Spinners have had a major role to play in modern day cricket with pitches slowing up in most of the countries. Although the sub-continent nations have predominantly supported spin over the years, the nature of the pitches in other nations have varied. A remarkable example in this regard would be the pitches in the Caribbean, which were lightning fast previously but have slowed up to the point of largely supporting the tweakers.

Of late, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have hogged most of the limelight in terms of spin bowling. Saeed Ajmal and Yasir Shah have had their share of glory too. But it is notable that despite the nature of the pitches, India and Pakistan do not have a whole lot of reserve spinners to boast of.

Also read: 5 current wicket-keepers who are in the traditional mould

Glancing around the globe, we find many young spinners making their mark on the international scene. Some of them have already left mouths gaping wide open with their skills. Although very few have shown as much potential as Ashwin or Yasir, some have been quite impressive in recent months.

Let us glance through a list of spinners who could go on to become world beaters in the coming decade:

#1 Lakshan Sandakan – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka are known to extract mystery spinners from time to time. When Australia made the trip to the island nation in 2016, Lanka had a new weapon up their sleeve – Lakshan Sandakan. The wily chinaman bowler had made a mark for Colombo Cricket Club domestically and his performances earned him a spot in the test squad to face the visiting Aussies.

He operates off a shuffling action and is capable of turning the ball both ways. The young spinner topped the 2013-14 First-Class season’s wicket taker’s list with 54 scalps at 19.14. The performance earned him a spot in the ODI team to face England in 2014, but he did not get a game. In the next season, Sandakan impressed yet again with 45 wickets at 24.28.

Sandakan topped the charts yet again in the 2015-16 Premier League Tournament and the selectors picked him in Sri Lanka A team’s tour of England. He was soon called up to the Test team for the series against Australia.

In the first innings, Sandakan took his maiden Test wicket by dismissing Mitchell Marsh. He took 4/58 in the first innings and followed it up with 3/49 in the second. Sri Lanka won the Test, registering just their second win against an Australian side in 27 Test matches.

#2 Mitchell Santner – New Zealand

Mitchell Santner, New Zealand
Santner has similar qualities as Daniel Vettori

In April 2015, Santner, a young all-rounder, was picked in the New Zealand ODI and T20I squad for the tour of England. He made his One Day International debut for New Zealand in June 2015.

His first international wicket was when he trapped Sam Billings in the series against England. He made his T20I debut as well on the same tour in June 2015. His first Test match was against the Aussies in the Day/Night fixture in November 2015.

Santner’s real breakthrough came in the World Twenty20 in India. He was picked in the New Zealand squad as one of the main spinners. In the first match of the tournament against the hosts, India, Santner won the Man of the Match award for a brilliant spell of bowling, which led his side to an improbable victory. His 4/11 in that match ranks as the best figures by a Kiwi spinner in a World T20.

The 24-year-old was quite impressive for the Kiwis in the test tour to India as well. He hit a well composed 71 in the 1st Test at Kanpur and always kept a tidy line with the ball. Though not quite in the mould of a Vettori, Santner has the right tricks in his armoury to be a phenomenal spinner on the World Stage.

#3 Tabraiz Shamsi – South Africa

Shamsi, South Africa
Shamsi’s variations are right up there with the best

A chinaman bowler in the mould of Brad Hogg, Shamsi has ample variations and a tricky googly. He has emerged as South Africa’s major weapon in the spin department to complement Imran Tahir.

An impressive 2013-14 season for Easterns where he took 47 wickets at 20.02 got him a chance at franchise cricket. His skills in T20 bought him more recognition and he landed a deal in the Caribbean Premier League.

Soon, his 11 wickets in seven games at 13.27 became the talk of the town. His variations bamboozled most international batsmen and his undying attitude eerily resembled that of Imran Tahir.

The 26-year-old finished as South Africa’s leading spinner in the 2015-16 domestic first-class competition (SunFoil). He took 41 wickets for Titans at an average of 19.97. He was soon playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and South Africa in ODIs in the Tri-series in the West Indies. Shamsi impressed in his match against the Aussies as top players like Warner and Steven Smith failed to read him.

Shamsi’s first-class record stands at an impressive 272 wickets in 68 games at an average of 24.90. He took five five-wicket hauls in the 2015-16 SunFoil competition and his performances earned him a call-up for South Africa’s Test tour Down Under.

#4 Adam Zampa - Australia

Adam Zampa, Australia
Adam Zampa is yet to make an impact in the longest format of the game

Being labelled as a potential successor to Shane Warne, Zampa made his ODI debut on 6 February 2016 in the second match of the 2015–16 Chappell–Hadlee Trophy series. He also made his Twenty20 International debut for Australia against South Africa on 4 March 2016. However, Zampa got noticed in the 2016 IPL after a match against the SunRisers Hyderabad, where he took 6/19, the second best figures in the history of the IPL.

He had made his name in the Big Bash League for South Australia and Melbourne Stars. With subtle changes of pace and a handy wrong’un, Zampa was successful in tying down the batsmen in T20. He impressed in the World T20 in India where he picked up five wickets at 13.80 and an impressive economy of 6.27.

Also read: Why Adam Zampa should be given an opportunity in the Australian Test team

Zampa will, however, face a challenge to become a Test bowler, given his over-reliance on variations and mediocre turn. Zampa has 53 wickets in 22 First-Class matches. His List A and ODI records are much more impressive. He has already become a key figure in Australia’s limited over schemes with 28 wickets in 17 ODIs.

Though he is yet to set the stage on fire, Zampa is one good young spinner the Aussies can boast of.

#5 Taijul Islam – Bangladesh

Taijul Islam, Bangladesh
Taijul had outstanding debuts in ODI as well as Test cricket

A left-arm orthodox spinner, Taijul was drafted into the Bangladesh A side after a superb 2013–14 domestic season. His stellar form was noticed by the selectors and he would make his Test debut for Bangladesh when they toured the West Indies in 2014.

He took a five-wicket haul in his debut Test, becoming the sixth Bangladeshi bowler to do so. Zimbabwe toured Bangladesh later in the year, and he registered career-best figures of 8/39, the best figures by a Bangladesh bowler in Tests.

His ODI debut turned out to be even more dramatic as he went on to pick up a hat-trick, the first to do so.

For the 2015 World Cup in Australia-New Zealand, Taijul was included in Bangladesh's squad but got just a lone match in which he went wicketless. He was dropped from the squad for the following ODIs against Pakistan but was named in the squad for the two-match Test series. In the first Test of that series, Taijul took a six-wicket haul in Pakistan's first innings, the second-best figures by a Bangladeshi against Pakistan, bettering Shakib Al Hasan’s feat.

He has played just 9 Test matches so far but already has an impressive 36 scalps with a match-best of 9/81. His first-class record is equally stunning with 158 victims in 36 games including 13 five-wicket hauls. He already has 3 such hauls in Test cricket and could go on to become a vital cog in Bangladesh’s squads across formats.

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Edited by Staff Editor