Best left arm spinner ever?

[PhatBoy]

Hard to ignore verity’s claims.

But ‘what could have been’ is not ‘what is.’

Herath was an absolutely superb bowler, missed a lot of cricket and wickets playing behind another all time great in Murali, and generally spent his career bowling in a rubbish attack.

Herath gets my vote not because of his general skill, but because his ability to use what skills he had - he had little flair or mystery. But put a 5 cent piece on a spot, and tell him to hit it 6 balls in a row, and get just enough variation from those 6 balls to create doubt in a batsman, and he could do it.

Also an incredibly intelligent bowler

 

[eth-dog]

Stats suggest Bedi, Herath and Underwood are the three at the top. Herath has a better strike rate than the other two, Underwood the average and economy rate. Herath more 5-for's and 10 wicket hauls. I'd probably take Herath.

 

[Gough]

Hard to ignore verity’s claims.

But ‘what could have been’ is not ‘what is.’

Herath was an absolutely superb bowler, missed a lot of cricket and wickets playing behind another all time great in Murali, and generally spent his career bowling in a rubbish attack.

Herath gets my vote not because of his general skill, but because his ability to use what skills he had - he had little flair or mystery. But put a 5 cent piece on a spot, and tell him to hit it 6 balls in a row, and get just enough variation from those 6 balls to create doubt in a batsman, and he could do it.

Also an incredibly intelligent bowler

Verity is one of those guys that lives on in cricket lore, like Archie Jackson or Ollie Milburn or Phillip Hughes, who misty eyed tragics will sit around forever and argue what might have been.

 

[PhatBoy]

Verity is one of those guys that lives on in cricket lore, like Archie Jackson or Ollie Milburn or Phillip Hughes, who misty eyed tragics will sit around forever and argue what might have been.

And via different circumstances, Barry Richards and Mike Procter

 

[Gough]

And via different circumstances, Barry Richards and Mike Procter

The South African side of the 70s is one of cricket's great what ifs.

 

[PhatBoy]

The South African side of the 70s is one of cricket's great what ifs.

Bias aside I have no doubt that regardless of apartheid the West Indies would have created the greatest and most indomitable dynasty in cricket history. However the duel for supremacy from around 1970-1980 would have been arguably the most competitive in cricket history. And the sport is obviously far poorer for it.