Spin bowling is a complex art. The bowler should have a lot of control over his fingers and wrists to be a good spinner. He should be aware of the turn, and speed his arm generates while delivering the ball. A bowler has to work hard for years to be a good spinner. Since the past decade or so, Afghanistan has emerged as a powerhouse of spinners. Let us look at the Top 10 Spinners from Afghanistan-
1. Rashid Khan (Right-Arm Leg-Spin)
Rashid Khan is the best spinner Afghanistan has ever produced. Since his ODI debut in 2015, the youngster has wreaked havoc in international and franchise cricket. He has taken 277 wickets across all the formats. He is the 3rd youngest ever to take a 5-wicket haul in ODI cricket. In a T20I against Ireland in 2019, he became the first bowler to take a double-hattrick in a T20I. He became the youngest captain of a team in ODI (19y 165d) and Test cricket (20y 350d).
2. Mohammad Nabi (Right-Arm Off-Break)
Mohammad Nabi has one of the most straightforward bowling actions. But his numbers prove that it is as effective as simple it is. In 216 international matches, he has accounted for 213 batters. In T20I, he holds the record for the most number of wickets taken caught and bowled (7). He returned his best figures in a T20I match against Ireland in Dubai, wherein he dismissed four batters for just ten runs.
3. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Right-Arm Off-Break)
Since his international debut at 16 in 2017, Mujeeb has already become the 4th highest wicket-taker for Afghanistan in international cricket. In only 66 matches, he has grabbed the wickets of 103 batters. In 2018, he claimed five wickets in an ODI against Zimbabwe to become the youngest bowler to take a 5-wicket haul in ODI. On his debut, he registered figures of 4/24 in 10 overs. And mind you, he is just 20 years old!!!
4. Amir Hamza (Slow Left-Arm Orthodox)
Hamza is a not-so-known spinner from Afghanistan who compares his bowling action with Daniel Vettori. In the 67 international games he has played, he has taken 86 wickets with 70 of those coming in white-ball cricket. In the test match against West Indies in 2019 at Lucknow, he became the first-ever Afghan player to take a fifer on Test debut. In ODIs, he has an economy of 3.92 runs per over.
5. Samiullah Shinwari (Right-Arm Leg-Break)
Samiullah Shinwari started his international career as a leg-spinner. But as time passed, he was used more like a batter. He has 74 wickets to boast of in the 148 matches. With a fast run-up and simple ball release, he occasionally confused the batters with his deliveries. His 5/13 in a T20I against Kenya in Sharjah in 2013 is the 3rd best figure for an Afghanistan bowler in T20I.
6. Karim Sadiq (Right-Arm Off-Break)
Karim Sadiq was predominantly a wicket-keeper opening batter. But a captain would always prefer to have a handy off-spinner like him. He showed his bowling mettle against Denmark in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, where he took 4/27 in 8 overs. Although he has only 20 international wickets in his kitty, his economy often meant that the captain tossed the ball to him.
7. Qais Ahmad (Right-Arm Leg-Break)
Qais Ahmad Kamawal doesn’t have a lot of wickets to show since his international debut in 2019. He has taken only four wickets in two international matches, out of which three came against Ireland in a T20I in 2020 at Greater Noida. But it is his domestic performance that grabs our eyeballs. He has 68 wickets to his name in just 12 matches. His record in U19 ODI is excellent too. In 12 games, he has got 27 batters out, with 4/33 being his best. Moreover, he is a much-sought spinner in franchise cricket worldwide.
8. Zahir Khan (Left-Arm Wrist Spin)
Zahir Khan Pakteen, too, doesn’t have many wickets in his kitty. With an experience of four matches, he has taken nine wickets. But the fact that 7 of those 9 wickets have come in Test matches shows his potential and skill set. He too is in demand across the franchise cricket all around the world and has played for 9 teams across 5 leagues.
9. Sharafuddin Ashraf (Slow Left-Arm Orthodox)
Sharafuddin Ashraf is a handy slow left-arm bowler who can get crucial wickets at crucial moments. His wickets might not be good quantitively, but their quality is high-class. And not to forget, his economy in ODI cricket is 4.39. That speaks for itself. He has 18 wickets in 27 international matches with him.
10. Rahmat Shah (Leg-Break Googly)
Rahmat Shah Zurmatai is a batting-allrounder but does occasionally roll the arm. He has taken 14 ODI wickets, including a fifer against UAE in ACC Premier League 2014 in Kuala Lumpur. He is a surprise package and has a strike rate of 6.6 while bowling.
