Top 5 left-arm bowlers in One-Day cricket

Daniel Vettori

4. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)

The lion-hearted left-arm orthodox spinner, who plays for the Northern Districts Knights in NZ cricket, has matured into a useful bowling all-rounder. One of the few players to use prescription spectacles on the field, the former skipper has been one of the best spinners in both ODIs as well as Tests.

Vettori made his debut in the 1996-97 season as an 18-year old, and over a seventeen-year span, has emerged as a force to reckon with, particularly in the ODI arena. Known for his unerring accuracy, guile and clever use of flighted deliveries, Vettori can not only choke the flow of runs but also pick up wickets with alarming regularity. He is also a useful batsman, making crucial contributions down the order. Despite his talent, Vettori has bagged only two five-wicket hauls in ODI cricket – 5/30 against the West Indies in 2004, and 5/7 against minnows Bangladesh in 2007.

With regular captain Stephen Fleming deciding to hang up his boots, the mantle of leadership passed to Daniel, and he led the Black Caps to the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup in India. He retired from both ODIs and T20 internationals soon after, and his arm-ball, with which he tormented many leading batsmen, remains one of the lasting images of his tenure as a limited-overs cricketer.