Is spin bowling a dying art?
Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Nathan Lyon, Graeme Swan, Ravi Ashwin.
Some of the greatest bowlers of all time are spinners, whether that’s orthodox or unorthodox, wrist spin or finger spin, it has always had a crucially important role. Yet in the modern game there seems to be the emergence of a worrying shift away from spin and a preference towards efficient, repetitive fast bowlers fuelled by fewer test matches lasting until days 4 and 5. From county teams forcing spinners to only bowl the start and end of the season, Australia not having a promising replacement for Nathan Lyon, and England refusing to give chances to promising talent, it begs the question is the art of spin bowling becoming futile in todays game?
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At the time of writing, Australia have just won an ashes series in which there has been an astounding lack of spin. Just 14% of deliveries have been bowled by spinners but the more worrying factors lie in the team selections. England have gone an entire series without an out and out spinner, utilising the part-timer Will Jacks when necessary, who (with a bowling average of 61.50 taking just 4 wickets in 3 games) isn’t the answer. Australia have been even worse with Lyon only bowling in 1 of the 4 games (partly due to injury) calling the decision to drop him in Brisbane “absolutely filthy”. Whilst it is worth noting that Australia is a tough place to bowl spin, many before have done just that before and the epitome of world cricket disregarding spin bowling is a worrying sight.
Whilst in India, Pakistan, Shri Lanka, and Bangladesh of course spin bowling is still an essential part of bowling attacks due to their conditions, however even these nations aren't immune to the dangers facing spin bowling. Shorter test matches is a worrying new trend in world cricket currently posing all sorts of problems from nations losing millions through ticket sales, to supporters missing out on games, but this also gravely affects spin bowlers. The optimal conditions to bowl spin are the latter days of a test match when there are cracks in the pitch, footholds at the crease and a general deterioration of the pitch. Along with this, the popularisation of limited-over cricket especially in new generations coming through places a heavy reliance on seam bowling. When you add to this, softer Kookaburras and Dukes, along with the increase of aggressive batting, it is no wonder that teams are showing more disrespect towards spinners.
Despite these challenges, the importance and beauty of spin bowlers can’t be understated. The ability to pin aggressive batters back in their crease, the challenge of a flipper, a googly, or top spin. The excitement of 5 men around the bat and the pressure that comes with it. They’re essential for over rates, day 5s and if you’re on a plane to a dusty, dry, hot country in the subcontinent, I can promise that you’re going to want an experienced, proven spinner sat next to you.
