Being a spinner in cricket is hard. You need to practice for hours every day to get good at it. Even after that, you have to keep improving and adding new techniques to your spin bowling. Many great spinners have appeared over the years, and we have chosen the world’s best spinners for this article.
The best spinners have different bowling styles. These legends can spin the ball in both directions and sometimes bowl faster to surprise the batsmen.
Here, we will look at the top ten best spin bowlers in cricket history! So, let’s get started.
1. Muttiah Muralitharan- Best Spinner of all-time
Let’s start the list with the best spin bowler in the world! Muttiah Muralitharan has achieved everything and won everything with Sri Lanka. He began his career in 1992 and was part of the team that won the 1996 World Cup.
Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest wicket-taker in both ODIs and Test Cricket. He has taken 534 wickets in ODIs and 800 wickets in Test matches. This makes him undoubtedly the best spin bowler in the world and possibly the best bowler of all time.
| Name | Muttiah Muralitharan |
| Date of Birth | 17 April 1972 |
| Age | 50 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1992-2011 |
| Nationality | Sri Lanka |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI) | 133/350 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI) | 800/534 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 9/51 (Test Cricket)7/30 (ODI) |
| Achievements | Highest wicket-taker in Test cricketHighest wicket-taker in ODIs1996 World Cup winner. |
ALSO READ: Top 5 Run Scorer in Big Bash League
2. Shane Warne- Best Leg Spinner in international cricket
Shane Warne was a great bowler who amazed batsmen with his spin bowling. The Australian started his career in 1992 and became one of the best spin bowlers ever.
Warne helped Australia win the World Cup in 1999 and was also part of teams that won the Ashes. When he retired, he had taken the most wickets in Test cricket with 708. This record was later broken by Muttiah Muralitharan.
Shane Warne’s sudden death in 2022 shocked the cricket world. His presence on the field will be greatly missed.
| Name | Shane Keith Warne |
| Date of Birth | 13 September 1969 |
| Date of Death | 4 March 2022 (aged 52 years) |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1992-2007 |
| Nationality | Australia |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI) | 145/194 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI/T20I) | 708/293 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 8/71 (Test Cricket)5/33 (ODI Cricket) |
| Achievements | 1999 World Cup WinnerSecond highest wicket-taker in test cricket. |
3. Anil Kumble- Best Indian Leg Spinner
Anil Kumble is number three on our list of the best spin bowlers in the world. Known as ‘Jumbo,’ he was the best spinner from India, proven by his impressive number of wickets in both Tests and ODIs.
One memorable moment was when he played against the West Indies in 2002 with a broken jaw, showing his toughness and determination. Kumble retired in 2008 after successfully captaining the Indian Test team.
| Name | Anil Kumble |
| Date of Birth | 17 October 1970 |
| Age | 51 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1990-2008 |
| Nationality | India |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI) | 132/271 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI) | 619/337 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 10/74 (Test Cricket)6/12 (ODI Cricket) |
| Achievements | 1996 Wisden Cricketer of the YearICC Hall of Fame 2015. |
4. Saqlain Mushtaq- Best Pakistani Spinner
The Pakistani spinner was likely the best from his country. He became famous quickly in international cricket, taking 208 wickets in Test matches and 288 wickets in ODIs.
Unfortunately, injuries and a loss of form ended his Pakistan career in 2004. It’s interesting to think about what more he could have achieved if he had continued for another 5-6 years.
| Name | Saqlain Mushtaq |
| Date of Birth | 29 December 1976 |
| Age | 49 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1995-2004 |
| Nationality | Pakistan |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI) | 49/169 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI) | 208/288 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 8/164 (Test Cricket)5/20 (ODI Cricket) |
| Achievements | Wisden Cricketer of the year 2000One of four bowlers to take two ODI hat tricks. |
5. Jim Laker- Best England Spinner
Jim Laker began playing for England in 1947 and became one of the best spin bowlers in cricket history. He took 193 wickets in just 46 test matches, with his best performance being 10 wickets for 53 runs.
Jim Laker is most famous for taking 19 wickets against Australia in a single test match at Old Trafford Cricket Stadium.
| Name | James Charles Laker |
| Date of Birth | 9 February 1922 |
| Date of Death | 23 April 1986 (64 years) |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1947-1964 |
| Nationality | England |
| Matches Played (Test) | 46 |
| Wickets Taken (Test) | 193 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 10/53 (Test Cricket) |
| Achievements | One of the trendsetters among spinnersTook 19 wickets in a game against Australia. |
ALSO READ: Top 5 Indian Cricketers in World Cup Squad Who Didn’t Play Any Matches
6. Ravichandran Ashwin- Best Indian Off-Spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin is probably the best spin bowler in the world right now. The spinner from Chennai became famous by playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League. Since then, Ashwin has become one of India’s greatest Test players ever.
As of April 2022, Ravichandran Ashwin has taken 442 Test wickets. He has also been a regular player in India’s T20I and ODI teams. One of his biggest achievements was being part of the Indian team that won the 2011 World Cup.
| Name | Ravichandran Ashwin |
| Date of Birth | 17 September 1986 |
| Age | 35 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 2010- currently active |
| Nationality | India |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI/T20I) | 86/112/51 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI/T20I) | 442/151/61 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 7/59 (Test Cricket)4/25 (ODI Cricket)4/8 (T20I Cricket) |
| Achievements | 2011 World Cup winner, ICC Cricketer of the Year 2016, |
7. Abdul Qadir- Best all-time spinner from Pakistan
Abdul Qadir was a spinner who inspired other players like Saqlain Mushtaq and Danish Kaneria. Born in 1955, he played for his team in ODI and Test cricket from 1977 to 1993.
In his career, Qadir took 236 wickets in Test matches and 132 wickets in ODIs. His best performance in a Test match was 9 wickets for 56 runs, which is still the best for a Pakistani bowler.
| Name | Abdul Qadir Khan |
| Date of Birth | 15 September 1955 |
| Date of Death | 6 September 2019 (63 years) |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1977-1993 |
| Nationality | Pakistan |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI) | 67/104 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI) | 236/132 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 9/56 (Test Cricket)5/44 (ODI Cricket) |
| Achievements | Best figures of 9/56 by a Pakistani Bowler till date, |
8. Erapalli Prasanna- Best spinner from South India
EAS Prasanna was one of India’s top spin bowlers and set trends in cricket. He had an international career that lasted 18 years and played Test matches for India.
The bowler from Bengaluru was respected both in domestic and international cricket. He was also part of India’s famous spin quartet in the 1970s.
| Name | Erapalli A.S. Prasanna |
| Date of Birth | 22 May 1940 |
| Age | 81 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1961-1978 |
| Nationality | India |
| Matches Played (Test) | 49 |
| Wickets Taken (Test) | 189 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 8/76 (Test Cricket) |
| Achievements | One of the most successful spinners from India |
9. Rangana Herath- Best Left-Arm Sri Lankan Spinner
Rangana Herath started his cricket career in 1999 and played for about 20 years. This long career made him one of the best spin bowlers in Sri Lanka and the world.
By the end of his Test career, Herath had taken 433 wickets in 93 matches. This record made him the left-handed bowler with the most Test wickets ever. He also took five wickets in an innings against every team he played.
| Name | Rangana Herath |
| Date of Birth | 19 March 1978 |
| Age | 44 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1999-2018 |
| Nationality | Sri Lanka |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI/T20I) | 93/71/17 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI/T20I) | 433/74/18 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 9/127 (Test Cricket)4/20 (ODI Cricket)5/3 (T20I Cricket) |
| Achievements | Most wickets by a left-arm bowler in history taken a 5 wicket haul against every test nation. |
10. Daniel Vettori- Best New Zealand off-spinner
Number 10 on our list of the best spin bowlers in the world is Daniel Vettori. The New Zealander is probably the best spinner New Zealand has ever had, and his statistics prove it.
Daniel Vettori played for the New Zealand national team for about 18 years before he retired. He played in all three formats of cricket and was also a good captain for his team during that time
| Name | Daniel Vettori |
| Date of Birth | 27 January 1979 |
| Age | 43 years |
| Cricketing Career (National Team) | 1997-2015 |
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Matches Played (Test/ODI/T20I) | 113/295/34 |
| Wickets Taken (Test/ODI/T20I) | 362/305/38 |
| Best Bowling Figures | 7/87 (Test Cricket)5/7 (ODI Cricket)4/20 (T20I Cricket) |
| Achievements | First left-handed bowler to pick 350+ wickets in tests best spinner from New Zealand |
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