The spinners will play a significant role throughout the World Cup 2023, as the tournament is in India.
The spinners will play a significant role throughout the World Cup 2023, as the tournament is in India. The teams with better spinners than their opponents will have the upper hand in the game, as the slow bowlers will definitely come into play at some point in the innings. There are specific venues where the tweakers will have more work to do than the speedsters.
Hence, the ten teams participating in the global event have selected their squads based on the Indian conditions. While the sub-continent sides always have a superior spin attack, the other ones won’t be behind either.
In this segment, we rank the World Cup teams according to the quality of their spin attacks.
India arguably have the best spin attack leading into the World Cup. They have most bases covered, and their spinners have vast experience bowling in home conditions. The Indian spinners are also in form, making them a complete spin attack.
The Indian spin attack is one of the most all-round attacks in the World Cup 2023. The late addition of Ravichandran Ashwin has made it a versatile spin unit. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja are the other spinners in the squad.
Kuldeep Yadav, a chinaman, has been in the form of his life this year. He is currently the second-leading wicket-taker in the ODIs in 2023, with 33 wickets at an average of 16.03. Ravindra Jadeja’s improved white-ball bowling is a bonus for the Indian team.
Jadeja has picked up wickets consistently since the West Indies tour a few months back and will hope to continue the fine work. Ravichandran Ashwin’s off-spin was unavailable in the initial squad, but an injury to Axar Patel enabled India to add variety to their spin attack. Ashwin looked in sublime bowling form in the two ODIs against Australia before the tournament, as those performances played a vital role in his inclusion.
All three spinners are in form and genuine wicket-takers, especially Kuldeep Yadav. Ravindra Jadeja’s improvements and Ravichandran Ashwin’s added variations against the RHBs form a threatening and the best spin attack in the World Cup.
Afghanistan’s biggest strength in this World Cup will be their top-notch spin attack. They always had a fantastic set of slow bowlers, their most significant strength over the years. Afghanistan will have more chances to succeed than the previous two editions, with a sub-continent World Cup this time.
With vast experience in the format, there are seasoned campaigners in Afghanistan. Rashid Khan is a runaway match-winner, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi also being a veteran. Mujeeb operates effectively with the new ball and can provide consistent breakthroughs early on.
Nabi bowls in the tight areas and keeps the scoring rate in check in the middle overs, whereas Rashid delivers in the arduous phases of the ODIs. Nabi enjoys bowling against the southpaws, whereas Mujeeb is better against the RHBs. Rashid can keep both types of batters in check.
Noor Ahmad is another option for Afghanistan, which provides more variety to the spin attack. Noor is a chinaman whose pertinent rise in the last year has enabled Afghanistan to strengthen its spin department further. They all form a formidable spin attack, capable of taking down the best sides, even in slightly helpful conditions.
Bangladesh have among the finest spin units for the World Cup 2023. They have a perfect blend of experience and variety in this department. Bangladesh’s spinners can make the matches intriguing, even if their batters do an average job.
Bangladesh’s spinners will enjoy the conditions during the World Cup 2023, especially in Chennai and Delhi. While the tracks won’t be identical to their home surfaces, there will still be plenty to exploit. Bangladesh have the correct set of bowlers to do that consistently.
Shakib is among the best white-ball spinners, with rich experience in the conditions and format. Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mahedi Hasan are giants in the helpful pitches, with the capability to bowl tight lines and lengths and stifle the batters. Mahmudullah Riyad can also roll his arms and provide vital overs in the middle overs.
Bangladesh’s spin unit is short in variety, as they have only left-arm orthodox and off-spin in their ranks. However, these are the best options available for the team, and they have done the job consistently. With the sub-continent conditions, their value increases further and might form a threatening spin attack in the competition.
Sri Lanka’s spin attack quality has dented significantly due to the absence of Wanindu Hasaranga. However, there is still plenty of bite in their spin department, which can race away with the game on the slower surfaces. The Lankans will rely on them to perform consistently.
Maheesh Theekshana will lead the pack with his superior off-spin bowling, possessing several variations. Dunith Wellalage’s recent rise and Dhananjay de Silva’s handy off-breaks form a petrifying unit. There is the option of a leg-spinner, Dushan Hemantha, if the track has more for the spinners.
Charith Asalanka can also provide a few overs somewhere in the middle period. Sri Lanka always have these multi-tasking players in their squad who could contribute with bat and ball. They have again picked up a team with utility players throughout.
Also Read: Which team has the best pace attack for the World Cup 2023?
The absence of Wanindu Hasaranga is a significant blow, but Sri Lanka still have depth in the spin attack. Several venues allotted to them will also bring in the spinners in play. A lot will rely on how Sri Lanka’s spin department performs throughout the tournament.
Australia have the best spin attack outside the sub-continent nations in the World Cup 2023. They might have fewer options, but the ones available are quality operators. Their spin attack will be an interesting case in this tourney.
Adam Zampa is among the best spinners in the ODI format and has been snaring wickets consistently. Since 2022, Zampa has had 45 dismissals at 22.46 runs apiece in the 50-over format. Glenn Maxwell is another option who is more than a handy off-spinner.
Maxwell is a terrific ODI bowler, and taking him easy can be dangerous for the opponents. As visible in the third game between India and Australia in Rajkot, Maxwell can scalp the wickets consistently in this format. Marnus Labuschagne can also give a few overs of leg-spin if required.
Travis Head won’t play in the initial matches, but once he gets fit, he can also roll his arms and bowl off-spin. Australia will mainly rely on Zampa and Maxwell to do the job. They have the skillsets to make life difficult for the batters in the middle overs.
Pakistan have plenty of options, but inexperience and form are massive concerns for them. Their spin attack has been least effective among the sub-continent teams for a while now in this format. The lead bowlers haven’t given consistent breakthroughs.
Shadab Khan will lead the attack, but his recent form is troubling. Shadab has bowled poorly at times and failed to scalp wickets consistently in the middle overs. Mohammad Nawaz, Iftikhar Ahmed and Usama Mir are the other main spinners in the unit.
However, they haven’t been consistent enough to inspire confidence and have conceded too many runs on numerous occasions. Saud Shakeel and Salman Agha can also bowl a bit but are unreliable. In fact, every Pakistani spinner has been untrustworthy and inconsistent in the ODIs.
Shadab Khan’s variations have been futile, while the other spinners in the team are not the wicket-takers. Shadab will have to step up and lead from the front. Pakistan have the options, but they are not in form.
England have a mixed spin attack with several options, but they don’t have the specialists in the ODI format. They have different kinds of spinners and lined up according to the opponents.
Adil Rashid is their lead spinner, but his record in India is abysmal. Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone are shrewd operators, but their performance is not guaranteed. Moeen Ali’s previous outings on the Indian shores are horrendous, but he can use the helpful conditions.
Livingstone’s bowling has blown hot and cold, but he is a decent spinner. He can bowl leg-spins and off-spins according to the matchups, increasing his value. Joe Root can bowl a few overs of off-spin if the conditions assist the slow bowlers.
England don’t have any left-arm spinner in the squad, and their lead bowlers have a worrying record in India. It’s not that they can’t step up, but there is no assurance in England’s spin attack.
New Zealand have quite a few options in their ranks but several problems in the spin attack. The recent form of their lead spinner and the inexperience of the other tweakers are significant concerns for the Blackcaps.
New Zealand’s lead spinners – Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner – would be required to do the heavy lifting. Santner’s form this year has been concerning, as he has restricted the batters from scoring freely but failed to dismiss them regularly. Sodhi performed well in one of the matches against Bangladesh, but his overall form has also been unreliable.
Rachin Ravindra has done a fine job recently, but how he performs against the best players of spin will be interesting. Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman are also the choices, but in the ODIs, they are fallible.
The records of Sodhi and Santner in India are surprising, and New Zealand can not afford such performances again. The Kiwis have a mixed spin attack for the tournament. They can hold the run flowing, but it’s unsure whether they would draw wickets consistently.
South Africa have a light spin attack in the World Cup 2023. Tabraiz Shamsi, Keshav Maharaj and Aiden Markram are their options for the tournament. They all are below par in one way or another.
Tabraiz Shamsi is their lead spinner and will have the onus to provide breakthroughs for his team. Shamsi has been among the wickets, but he has been expensive. Keshav Maharaj can put the breaks on the scoring rate, but he might not be a wicket-taker in the ODIs.
Aiden Markram can also give a few overs, but he is neither a wicket-taker nor a run-regulator. Markram’s numbers don’t inspire any confidence either. Markram can only bowl a few tight overs from his end on his best day.
The Proteas will find it arduous to hold their spin attack together, for they have several weak links. Their spinners have loopholes and will be more condition-prone than most other sides. It’s hard to see them performing consistently if no help is available.
The Netherlands have the weakest spin attack for the World Cup 2023. The inexperience might be their biggest problem throughout the tournament. They have hardly played in Indian conditions and against the best teams consistently.
Aryan Dutt, Roelof van der Merwe and Shariz Ahmad are their main options in the spin department. Aryan has been mighty inconsistent this year, and while Shariz has taken wickets, he has conceded plenty at times. Roelof can bowl the tight spell but hasn’t been a regular in the ODIs.
Saqib Zulfiqar, Colin Ackermann and Sybrand Engelbrecht are the part-timers who can chip in with a few overs. However, they aren’t a wicket-taker in this format and are short in experience.
The Netherlands’ most significant issue will be their inexperience in this World Cup. They have several options in the squad, but they won’t be as effective. It’s safe to say their spin attack will struggle to hold up against the big nations.
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