Top 10 spinners of all time

Spin bowling is an art that makes cricket more beautiful. The sight of ball drifting in the air, pitching and then changing direction is like poetry in motion.

Over the years, several spinners mastered this tough art and entertained the world with their craftsmanship. Let us pay tribute to these geniuses who literally made the batsmen dance to their tunes.

Here is a comprehensive list of the top ten spinners in world cricket.

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#10 Daniel Vettori

A highly underrated spinner in the modern era, Daniel Vettori was arguably the best spinner New Zealand have ever had. The left-arm spinner had certain limitations and was never a prolific wicket-taker but was sensational in the role he played for his team.

He kept one end quiet with his spin bowling and maintained pressure. Scoring against him was tough as he was always accurate and innovative and his ODI economy rate of 4.12 justifies this claim.

For the most part of his career, he played on surfaces that had little help for the spinners and hence Vettori developed other weapons to keep himself in the contention. He was highly intelligent and played international cricket for 18 years.

He was the youngest player to represent New Zealand and he ended with 362 Test wickets and 305 ODI wickets.

#9 Jim Laker

Jim Laker

Jim Laker featured in 43 Tests and has 193 wickets to his name. At his prime, he was an efficient and crafty spinner who could keep the batsman guessing with his smart bowling.

But Laker is best remembered for his bowling performance in the Old Trafford Test in 1956 against Australia. In the game, the spinner took nine wickets in the first innings and then bettered himself by claiming all ten wickets in the second innings.

His figures of 19 for 90 runs remain the best bowling figures in Test cricket and this record can last for a long time.

His off-spin contained plenty of venom and his variations made things even more difficult for the batsmen. Laker's first-class record is also impressive. In 450 games, he picked 1944 wickets.

#8 Rangana Herath

Rangana Herath

For the most part of his career, Rangana Herath was overshadowed by Muralitharan, but after the retirement of Murali, Herath has become the undisputed spin king of Sri Lanka.

International fame came late to Herath but he persisted and kept on bowling his left-arm spin effectively. In the post-Murali era, he is the most prolific spinner in the world and at the moment, one of the best.

Herath's key to success is his drift and control over the line. His smart and wily mind also plays a vital hand in setting up the batsmen. The Sri Lankan spinner has 389 wickets in 83 Tests along with 74 ODI scalps. He did feature in 17 T20 internationals as well and claimed five wickets for three runs in the quarter-final encounter against New Zealand in the World T20 2014.

The left-arm spinner is 39-year old and is at the final stages of his career. But looking at his bowling and his skills, he looks set to break the barrier of 400 Test scalps.

#7 Sydney Barnes

Sydney Barnes

Hailed as one of the best bowlers in Tests, Sydney Barnes was, in a simple term, a 'freak'. His deliveries turned like that of a spinner and he bowled at speed similar to that of a pace bowler.

The result of this lethal combination of pace and spin was 189 wickets in 50 Test innings at an average of 16.43 and strike rate of 41.6. On his day, courtesy of his deadly pace and sharp turn, he could easily wrap up any batting order.

The South Africans found it the hard way in 1913-14 when England toured them for four Tests. Barnes returned home with 49 wickets after that series at an average of 10.93.

The English bowler was authoritative against Australia as well and picked up 106 wickets.

#6 Lance Gibbs

Lance Gibbs

Lance Gibbs had to his advantage long fingers and a was extremely fit. He made great use of both and became the first spinner to reach to 300 Test wickets.

His accuracy was phenomenal and he offered the batsmen little chance to score runs. His economy rate of below two in Tests signifies his tight bowling while his average of 29.09 is impressive as well.

He once bowled more than 50 overs against India at Barbados and ended with eight wickets, his best bowling figures in cricket. He also has a hat-trick to his name and has claimed 18 five-wicket hauls in 148 innings.

The West Indian off-spinner played international cricket for nearly two decades and featured in 79 Tests. He ended his career with 309 Test wickets.

#5 Saqlain Mushtaq

Saqlain Mushtaq

Some players become winners by excelling in the game while some become winners by changing the game. Saqlain Mushtaq falls in the second category as he kept upgrading his skills throughout his career.

He began with off-spin bowling and soon added several weapons to his armory. He claimed close to 500 international wickets in 49 Tests and 169 ODIs but his greatest legacy is the 'doosra' a variation that he mastered to perfection. The 'doosra' turns away after pitching and works as a googly for an off-spinner.

Mushtaq set the cricket world on fire with his doosra during the 1990s. During that phase, he once steered Pakistan to a memorable Test win at Chennai against India by claiming a ten-for.

In ODIs, he was sensational and often batsmen failed to read his variations. Hence, he bowled in the death overs often and was the fastest to the 100-wicket mark in ODIs.

#4 Bishan Singh Bedi

Bishen Singh Bedi

The mere sight of Bedi running in and bowling was enough to hail him as one of the finest spinners of all time. There was calmness, technical perfection, soothing rhythm and a textbook style charm in the way he approached the crease, loaded his bowling arm, delivered the ball and finished his follow-through.

The result of this clean action was classic left-arm bowling that troubled batsmen of all calibre. Bedi had plenty of tricks in his bag and his variations were mostly too good to handle for any batsman.

Plus he had the courage to flight the ball against all types of batsmen. Bedi's career spanned 67 Tests in which he claimed 266 wickets. He was also the member of India's spin quartet that dominated world cricket during the 1970s.

#3 Anil Kumble

Anil Kumble

As a leg-spinner, Anil Kumble had certain limitations. He didn't turn the ball much and lacked the drift that was instrumental in outfoxing the batsmen.

But Kumble ignored the flaws and worked on his strengths to emerge as India's greatest spin bowler ever.

Kumble was tall and he used his height to purchase bounce from any surface. Plus, he had several variations that surprised the batsmen every now and then but his biggest asset was his unparalleled determination and fighting attitude which enabled him to bowl over after over without losing hope.

He once bowled with a broken jaw in a Test match and this effort was appreciated by the great Viv Richards. He said, "It was one of the bravest things I've seen on the field of play."

Kumble ended his career with 619 Test wickets and 337 ODI wickets. He is also only the second bowler to take all ten wickets in a Test inning.

#2 Shane Warne

Shane Warne

Shane Warne was a complete package. He possessed enormous talent, had a cunning mind and on top of all that, had a will to win at any cost. His tremendous bowling in the semi-finals of the 1999 World Cup inspired the Aussies when they were pushed to a corner.

Warne could turn the ball a country mile but his strength lied in his control of the turn. He was Australia's main spin weapon during the 2000s and he was instrumental in handing Sri Lanka a whitewash at Sri Lanka in 2004.

Warne's ODI career was prolific but it lasted for a short period due to various reasons. In Tests, though, he was incredible and was the first to reach to 700 Test wickets.

#1 Muttiah Muralitharan

Muttiah Muralitharan

With 1334 international wickets, Muttiah Muralitharan is the most successful spinner in the world. His unconventional bowling action which disclosed nothing about his deliveries and his variations troubled the batsmen across the world for nearly two decades.

Murali was unstoppable in Tests played in Sri Lanka thanks to the spin-friendly surfaces, but he was effective on overseas pitches as well. Throughout his career, questions were raised over his bowling action and he had to go through frequent tests as well.

But Murali kept his self-belief intact and retired after playing 133 Tests with his 800th Test wicket coming off the last ball he delivered in Tests.

His bowling action which made heavy use of all parts of his arm resulted in massive turn and his 'doosra' which was well controlled were key reasons for his monumental success in cricket.

In ODI cricket, he controlled his lengths effectively and claimed more than 500 wickets.