Top 5 Best Pakistani Spinners of all time

Pakistan is well-known for its fast bowlers, but it has also produced some of the best Pakistani spinners in cricket history. Since gaining Test status in 1952, Pakistan quickly made a name for itself in international cricket, including a famous win over England on their first tour abroad.

Although Pakistan’s spinners have sometimes been overshadowed by their fast bowlers, they have still made a big impact. Abdul Qadir was an expert at leg spin during a time when fast bowlers were more common. Saqlain Mushtaq introduced the doosra delivery, which became a powerful tool for many successful Test bowlers. Saeed Ajmal, Danish Kaneria, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Abdur Rehman also played important roles in Pakistan’s cricket achievements.

With Yasir Shah now emerging as a promising leg spinner, there is hope that Pakistan will continue to produce top-quality spinners. Yasir Shah’s delivery has even been compared to Shane Warne’s famous ball from the 2005 Ashes series, leading to debates about which delivery was better..

Here’s a list of Best Pakistani Spinners.

1. Abdul Qadir (right-arm wrist spin)

Abdul Qadir was a bowler who changed spin bowling when fast bowlers were more popular. He kept the art of leg spin alive, which was almost forgotten at the time.

He confused batsmen with his different types of deliveries, especially his googlies. He had two types of googlies, along with the usual leg-break, top spinner, and flipper. Shane Warne admired Qadir as a child and learned from him early in his career.

Qadir made his Test debut against England in 1977. He played 67 Tests and 104 ODIs for Pakistan from 1977 to 1993. Many considered him the best spinner of his time. Former England captain Graham Gooch even said Qadir was better than Shane Warne.

By the end of his career, Qadir had 236 Test wickets and 132 ODI wickets. In 2009, he was also a selector and helped pick the team that won the ICC World T20 in England.

READ MORE: Look at the Top 10 Australian fast bowlers of all time.

2. Saqlain Mushtaq (right arm off break)

Saqlain Mushtaq, who invented the ‘doosra’ (a leg break ball delivered with an off-break action), played for Pakistan from 1995 to 2004. He made his debut in both Test and ODI cricket against Sri Lanka in 1995 and performed well in his early games.

One of his most memorable performances was in 1999 against India, where he took 10 wickets in an innings. This great achievement helped Pakistan win the match, even though Sachin Tendulkar had scored a brilliant century while battling back pain.

Saqlain took 208 wickets in 49 Test matches, with 13 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket hauls. In ODIs, he collected 288 wickets at an average of 21.78 per wicket.

Before Saqlain introduced it, very few people knew about the doosra. The doosra is effective because it confuses batsmen; although it is delivered with an off-break action, it behaves like a leg break after it pitches. Saqlain also invented the ‘teesra’, also known as the carrom ball.

3. Mushtaq Ahmed (right-arm wrist spin)

Mushtaq Ahmed, who is currently the spin bowling coach for Pakistan, was known as one of the best wrist spinners at his peak. He started his international career in 1989 with an ODI against Sri Lanka, where he took 3 wickets on his debut. He made his Test debut the following year during Pakistan’s tour of Australia.

Mushtaq was part of the Pakistan team that won the World Cup in 1992. He took 16 wickets in the tournament, making him the second highest wicket-taker after his teammate Wasim Akram.

While he was successful in ODIs, he struggled to perform well in Test matches from 1990 to 1994. However, his fortunes improved, and he took ten five-wicket hauls between 1995 and 1998.

He also played for Somerset in county cricket from 1993 to 1998.

READ MORE:  Look at 10 cricket commentators who have captivated fans of this beautiful game.

4. Saeed Ajmal (right arm off break, doosra)

Saeed Ajmal played for Pakistan from 2006 to 2014. He was a remarkable spinner and confused batsmen worldwide with his amazing doosra delivery. Ajmal made his Test debut in 2006 against Sri Lanka, starting his international career quietly.

He got his first chance to play in colored clothing (ODIs) two years later. In 2009, umpires reported Ajmal for having a suspect bowling action. An independent test showed that his arm bent slightly but was within the ICC’s 15-degree limit.

Ajmal was part of the team that won the T20 World Cup in 2009 and was the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 12 wickets in 7 matches. He was at his best during the ICC World T20 in 2010, but few remember his performance because he gave away 3 sixes in the last over of the Semi-Final, allowing Australia to win thanks to Mike Hussey’s incredible innings.

Ajmal played his last Test and ODI against Sri Lanka in 2014.

5. Danish Kaneria (right arm wrist spin)

Danish Kaneria holds the record for the most wickets by a Pakistani spinner. He started his Test career at 19 against England in Faisalabad and ended Mushy’s Test career in the early 2000s. While not as dangerous as his predecessors Mushtaq and Saqlain, Kaneria was still a valuable player, helping Pakistan out of many tough situations.

Kaneria achieved his best performance in 2003 against Bangladesh, taking 7 wickets for 77 runs at the Bangabandhu National Stadium. Later in his career, he played a key role in Test victories against England, New Zealand, and India. However, he only played 18 ODIs and was part of Pakistan’s squad in the 2007 World Cup.

Kaneria’s Test career lasted 10 years, during which he played 61 Tests. His last Test was against England in Nottingham in 2010. He ended his Test career with 261 wickets at an average of 34.79 and took 15 five-wicket hauls.

Here’s a table with detailed stats for each bowler:

READ MORE:

• The top 10 countries that have won the most Olympic medals in history.
• The top 5 Unforgettable Moments from the 2024 T20 World Cup