When Australia and New Zealand were the chosen venues to host the 11th ICC World Cup more than five years ago, the one common topic of discussion in the cricketing fraternity was about the wickets Down Under. Historically, both hosts are known, far and beyond, for its playing strips to be conducive to seam bowling. New Zealand has always been known for preparing green grassy wickets where its fast bowlers reigned supreme, while Australia has been boastful, since time immemorial, of producing some of the greatest quick bowlers in the history of the game. Over time, this began to change as some playing venues saw a transition of sorts from fast bouncy tracks to wickets that offered some assistance to the slow bowlers. Australia produced some top class “Test Match” wickets that would endure over a five day period with pitch conditions varying on a daily basis. By the fourth and fifth day of the Test Match, quality spinners would become a factor and play a significant role in determining the outcome of the match. So, over the past decade or so, very few Test Matches have ended in a draw.
The adoption of “drop in pitches” in several venues of the 11th World Cup, barring a few matches, has produced a run fest. Most matches have seen scores beyond the 300 mark, which is a clear indication that the pitches are a batter’s paradise (although we have seen a few teams batting second prove otherwise). West Indies has hit the 300 plus mark in all matches they have played so far as have India and Australia, while several teams have come close to it.
While fast bowlers from most teams have been put to the sword primarily due to the lack of prodigious swing, this tournament has seen the pleasant emergence of the spinners, a species that was placed in the lost column.
Shane Warne has been traveling the world passionately chasing teams that have the unique luxury to carry a leg-spinner, which until recent times, has been a dying breed. Since this blonde leggie’s departure from the game, carrying a leg spinner in the side was a thing of the past. This changed with the advent of Imran Tahir, the Pakistani born and raised South African. In the 2011 World Cup, Tahir was one of the most successful bowlers of the tournament and along with Shahid Afridi, dominated the headlines in the wicket taking column. While Afridi seems to have lost his bite, Tahir has been the most effective bowler for the Proteas in the middle overs in the ODI format. He has an extraordinary wicket taking rate of about 27 balls with an average of just over 20, which, for a leg spinner is pleasantly remarkable.
Some of the best came from India and Pakistan and both fielded leg spinners from time to time, however, for more than a decade, other than Afridi, there hasn’t been one that has permanently sealed his place in the squad. The world saw Yasir Shah for the first time in Pakistan’s home series in the UAE against Australia and New Zealand in 2014 and Mr. Warne started to cartwheel in excitement. Similar to the great Abdul Qadir, he looks like a natural wicket taker who has not been taken advantage of by Pakistan.
In my initial assessment of the teams, I had mentioned the name of Ravichandran Ashwin of India creating an impact for his nation. In the matches India played so far, his role has been crucial in not only picking up vital wickets but also in successfully stifling the opposition. Similarly, we have seen Glenn Maxwell of Australia, veteran Daniel Vettori of New Zealand, Rangana Herath of Sri Lanka, Moeen Ali of England and Bangladesh’s own Shakib al Hasan come good in the matches they played in. Even George Dockrell of Ireland and Mohammed Nabi of Afghanistan have made their presence felt in this World Cup. The fact that the spinners are making a significant statement is adequately justified when we see Tillakarante Dilshan and Chris Gayle bowling regularly against good opposition.
While the main weapon for most teams is in the fast bowling department, the effective execution of which we have seen in so many matches, one cannot ignore the role of the spinners not only in the middle overs, but also in the death overs (41 to 50). Herath is one of the best there is in the death overs with an average run rate of just over six. In an era when new laws have made it a costly affair for all bowlers in the death and we are regularly seeing some of the best seamers getting smashed for over 10 runs per over, his performance is a testament to his quality and consistency. It is a pity that two of the best spinners of modern day cricket are not in action. Saeed Ajmal and Sunil Narine because of their controversial elbows had to stay away. With the bounce on these tracks, what a delight it would be to see these two perplexing spinners go after the best batters. World cricket needs them back.
Spinners such as Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Anil Kumble, Saqlain Mushtaq and Mushtaq Ahmed have given the game so much joy that it would be incomprehensible that these greats would not leave a huge following behind. And so the torch is passed on as we see a new generation of tweakers prepare themselves to be the next Warney or Murali. The game of cricket is just not the same without these men that are best known for their ability to control the game by deception.
Yousuf Rahman (Babu), former national cricketer, vice captain and first centurion writes from New York for Bangladesh fans all across the globe.