Shakib - the 5th best spinner in the world?

[King Pietersen]

Harbhajan Singh was one of the leading wicket-takers in Test cricket last year, he's easily in the top 4. Murali, Vettori, Harbjajan then Mendis. I'd personally rate Panesar above Shakib tbh. He may have been poor in India, but he lacked practise as he didn't have the oppurtunity to go play in Sri Lanka. He's proven in the past that he's a class act, especially in Australia and I think he's proved far more than Shakib, and 1 or 2 bad series shouldn't take him out of contention. I'd say Shakib comes after Monty, followed by Mishra probably.

 

[Precambrian]

Harby's wickets have all come at a high cost. He's been like that for many years now to think it could be permanent.

 

[King Pietersen]

High cost? 63 wickets at 31 is a pretty impressive record for an offy, doesn't seem to be too high a cost per wicket for my money. Only went at 2.81 an over as well.

 

[Precambrian]

High cost? 63 wickets at 31 is a pretty impressive record for an offy, doesn't seem to be too high a cost per wicket for my money. Only went at 2.81 an over as well.

You forget that most of the matches India played this year were in the subcontinent. And that average hence is not really that good as it seems. To be the 4th best bowler, you need to do better than that. And his record outside the subcontinent has been nearly abysmal.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Harbhajan just bowls very tightly, and ends up getting big hauls like 5/100 on flat pitches due to that. You'd expect someone like him to be lethal when conditions suit him, but he generally isn't. He's like the bowling version of a flat-pitch bully.

Shakib has played only 4 matches away in total. Hard to say he struggles overseas based on that. And as you can see, this isn't based on career performances, but recent ones, otherwise Mendis wouldn't be on the list.

That being said, Panesar, Mishra, maybe Murali Kartik even all have rights to stake a claim as the fifth best spinner in the world...

 

[King Cricket]

Nobody's talking about Harris.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Indeed. And that's surprising? He does his job for South Africa, holds up one end, occasionally picking up wickets, scores some runs and fields okay, but that isn't enough to make him the best spinner in the world.

 

[Arunava]

I was just thinking of all the spinners in world cricket today, and I think Shakib Al Hasan can legitimately stake a claim as the 5th best spinner in the world today - after Murali, Vettori, Mendis and (barely) Harbhajan.

Here is the list of spinners from around the globe playing internationally today:

Vettori
Jeetan Patel
Harbhajan
Mishra
Kaneria
Afridi
Mendis
Murali
Swann
Panesar
Hauritz
Krejza
Harris
S.Benn
Utseya
Price


Looks like Shakib is the 5th best spinner, and possibly 2nd best left arm finger spinner in the world today based on recent performances. Panesar, Kaneria, Mishra, Swann and Price might not be so happy about that, but I think Shakib deserves that spot.

Discuss.

on top of that best all rounder in the world right now

p.s.- (i haven't read the previous posts, perhaps it is already mentioned.)

 

[King Pietersen]

Best all-rounder in the world right now? ICC Rankings may say so, but i disagree. I'd definitely take Flintoff, Kallis and Oram over Shakib, Vettori as well if he's considered an all-rounder?

 

[King Cricket]

Indeed. And that's surprising? He does his job for South Africa, holds up one end, occasionally picking up wickets, scores some runs and fields okay, but that isn't enough to make him the best spinner in the world.

Of course, i forgot, he occasionally picks up wickets, right, right, 57 test wickets in 21 matches, with three four wicket hauls and one five wicket haul, your'e right, he occasionally picks up wickets and scores some runs (250+ in 21 matches coming at no 9) :

King Cricket added 1 Minutes and 25 Seconds later...

Best all-rounder in the world right now? ICC Rankings may say so, but i disagree. I'd definitely take Flintoff, Kallis and Oram over Shakib, Vettori as well if he's considered an all-rounder?

Best all-rounder right now? Jacob Oram, there can't be any competition.

 

[King Pietersen]

24 wickets at 45 in 2008, real impressive those stats....

 

[Arunava]

Best all-rounder in the world right now? ICC Rankings may say so, but i disagree. I'd definitely take Flintoff, Kallis and Oram over Shakib, Vettori as well if he's considered an all-rounder?

Oram is close , but in current form Shakib is at the top. This is his best rating ever and more astonishingly, his current form or perhaps peak is lot better than any other famous all-rounder. Oram was just 3 points better at his best form ever.
Check out the latest listings below:

Note: this depicts all rounder capabilities, not just batting or bowling.

 

[Precambrian]

Glad to see a world class cricketer from Bangladesh at last.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

57 wickets in 21 tests is about 2-3 wickets per test, around 1-2 per innings. 259 runs in 28 innings is about 10 per innings. I stick by what I said...

 

[King Pietersen]

How is his current form better than alot of other famous all-rounders? The only ones that have a lower score than Shakib on that list are Collingwood, Afridi and Yuvraj. Flintoff and Kallis have miles better peak scores. Shakib may be on form, but Flintoff, Kallis, Oram and Vettori offer more to the team. The ICC rankings can't be the only basis for your argument, Flintoff, Kallis, Oram and Vettori have all proven themselves over a long period of time and are also in decent form. I'd take all four of them over Shakib in my team in both forms.