Top 5 wrist spinners in the world right now
When T20 cricket was in its infancy more than a decade ago, there was a feeling that the new format might become the death of spin bowling. Questions were raised about whether spinners could survive in the era of big bats, small boundaries and flat pitches.
Wrist spin especially, owing to the difficulty in mastering the art, was considered to be on its last legs. Experts wondered if the wrist spinners would be daring enough to survive the onslaught of the new breed of batsmen who attacked the bowlers mercilessly from the word go.
Gone are the days when wrist spin was considered a dying art. The revival has been remarkable. Wrist spinners have not just survived but also thrived in the shorter formats.
Here are five of the best wrist spinners in the shorter formats:
#5 Adil Rashid
The 29-year-old leggie has now cemented his place in England's limited overs side. His road to the top has been anything but smooth. England's indifference towards spin, his own inconsistency and failure prove to himself in the longer format have all hampered his progress.
Making his limited overs debut way back in 2009, he had to wait six years to make his debut in Test cricket. He enjoyed an eventful debut as he was smashed for almost 5 runs an over by the Pakistani batsmen but he also picked up his maiden five-wicket haul.
After his debut Test tour, Rashid did not get as many opportunities as he would have liked. On the other hand, his limited-overs career has been very promising and he has developed into England's best leg-spinner since Doug Wright.
Rashid has a solid stock delivery and a well-disguised googly. Despite his inconsistency and tendency to bowl expensive spells, Rashid's wicket-taking ability has made him a valuable component of Eoin Morgan's side.