"The more I bowled spin, the more I looked to Muttiah Muralitharan" - Sunil Narine on trying to emulate the legendary spinner in his early daysÂ
West Indies bowler Sunil Narine shed light on the struggles of emerging as a spinner in the fast-bowler-dominated Caribbean. The mystery spinner is largely playing franchise cricket at the moment with his last appearance for the national team coming in 2019.
The 34-year-old took his first major step in cricket with his first-class debut in 2009. His unorthodox action, coupled with his penchant for variations, made him the ideal bowler for the shortest format of the game. Narine has found tremendous success in T20 cricket and is regarded as one of the toughest bowlers to face by his peers.
Kieron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Ravi Rampaul attended the India Vs West Indies match. https://t.co/gKU9C2rDNS
Admitting that there were very few prominent spinners in the West Indies when he began his career, the spinner said in the most recent edition of the Cricket Monthly:
"In the Caribbean it was tough. The more I bowled spin, the more I looked to Muttiah Muralitharan - he had the ball going both ways. But in the beginning it was tough. West Indies didn't have spinners who were playing consistently at the time; they would always play one-off games, where fast bowlers would dominate."
He made his debut for the West Indies against India in 2011 during a five-match ODI series. His credentials rose with an exceptional debut campaign for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the 2012 Indian Premier League (IPL).
Terming batting as his favorite aspect of the game, Narine revealed how he earned the tag as a mystery spinner. He said:
"To be honest, batting was, and still is, my favourite aspect of the game. Then the first game I played, I picked up 14 wickets in a four-day game. In Trinidad people knew I could bat, but this was when I became Narine the bowler. That's where I became a so-called ''mystery'' bowler."
The Trinidad-born bowler's countless variations have bamboozled several batters. His ability to adapt and improvise is a major factor behind is longevity, something which has not been common among mystery spinners in the past.
"It just so happened that I dominated T20 more than any other format" - Sunil Narine
While Narine became a household name as a result of his exploits in white-ball cricket, the spinner also has six Test appearances to his name. He claimed 21 wickets at an average of 40.52, with his last outing in whites being an away Test against New Zealand in 2013.
Kolkata Knight Riders have signed Narine and Russell for the UAE T20 league. (Source - TOI)
Claiming that his bowling style is not molded specifically for limited-overs cricket, he said:
"When batters have to come and play [in T20] it gives you an opportunity for wickets. In four-day games, when batters sit and try to wait, you really have to keep pegging away. It just so happened that I dominated T20 more than any other format. I've played more in this format, so I think it was just my road to go down."
The 34-year-old will next be seen in the upcoming edition of The Hundred. The spinner represents the Oval Invincibles and claimed seven wickets for the franchise in the inaugural edition of the tournament.
Would Narine have found success in Test cricket if he was given more opportunities? Let us know what you think