Bowling, Shane!

Just over a fortnight ago, the doosra asked you to pick the greatest spinner of all time. Over 1800 people voted, and the result is pretty conclusive. The two perfect-10 men, Jim Laker and Anil Kumble, got their fair share of votes, but the leaders of the pack are miles ahead. More than one in three plumped for the elastic wrists and guile of Muttiah Muralitharan, but the winner by a distance - with nearly half the votes - is the man who was known as the Sheik of Tweak and Hollywood amongst other things. When we look back on the 1990s and much of the first decade of the new millennium, one of the enduring images will be of an Australian wicketkeeper shouting: "Bowling, Shane" after a legbreak, flipper or zooter had bamboozled the batsman.

The numbers might point to Murali, but the Warne aura clearly captivated more people. For me, the ultimate proof of that was watching some kids at nets in South Africa last year. A significant number were bowling legspin, and considering that South Africa haven't produced a decent one in my lifetime, you can be sure who inspired them.

Click on the image above to see the full results.

Comments

[Shawn]

Can you say who is better, Pele or Maradona? Similary, you can have polls and lots of ifs and buts, but with 100% confidence you can never say that Warne is better than Murali or vice versa. Both are greats. If Murali has a lot of wickets against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, then he also has lots of wickets against India. But Warne clearly suffered from Tendulakaritis after getting whacked to all parts of the ground by Sidhu & Tendulkar. Also, Sri Lankan attack depends on Murali, where as for Warne, there was always somebody else at the other end to keep pressure on the batsmen.

[The Don]

Warne took more of his wickets against senior test sides and senior batsmen. Murrali however is still a mighty fine spinner - I wish we could produce leg spinners.

[Simon in Leicester]

Well this shamefully proves the racist undertones which exist in the world of cricket, with people split broadly on the basis of their religeon and colour.

I would bet my house on Murali resoundingly winning the vote if it was held in a sub-continent newspaper.

[Linden]

Murali's career stats are undermined by chucking allegations and playing large numbers of tests against the minnows. That said, if I was having a BBQ I'd invite him not Warne!

[ashokpai]

Warne and murali are both great. however for sheer entertainment i'd support warne. he's the best thinking brain in cricket. he loves a challenge, and i have not seen another player outside of viv richards who takes up on any opponent. my vote is with warne.

@Annie
its the aussie players who should be ashamed of themselves that they cant play a straight game, and have to resort to blatant lies, false accusation of racism , getting a player banned and reverse racism. worst thing about aussie spirit is that they lie so openly in press conferences claiming uncertainty, every single time they grassed the catch. its utterly ridiculous. one really hypocritical lot of fans and a team alike.

[Ricky]

Both are legends. Warne is a superstar, a pure genius and an entertainer. He would always be in my team eventhough I accept that Murali is better bowler than him but being with Warnie, I could always spin some hotties. Especially the two hotties during the '05 Ashes tour in England.

[Annie]

I can’t believe the Indian players, They can dish it out, but cant take it. 'Taking their bat and ball an going home', “INDEED’ how childish! They can only play well when the match is fixed for them. They are a very sad lot.

[Emily]

Murali is a deccent bloke where as warne is a liar, i have meet warne and he personly lied to me.

[RVI]

Murali and Warne are the greatest spinners that the game has produced.

However, it is wrong to say that one is better than the other. We can just compare and contrast a few of their traits.

Murali and Warne bowled two different varieties of spin (off and leg).

Murali has a good record against all the teams, while Warne did not shine against Indian batsmen.

The congenital deformity in Murali’s bowling arm did give him an advantage, while Warne had no such advantage.

While Warne was adept at playing the ‘mind game’ before key matches and thus gained psychological advantage over the opponents, Murali never indulged in any pre-match warfare.

Both could produce monstrous turns, while Murali has done it consistently and on all surfaces.

Warne had more variety than Murali.

While Murali is dogged by controversy on field, Warne has drowned himself in controversy off the field. :)

It is a treat to watch both of them in action.

[Keith]

Warnie is the only one in it. He bowled within the rules (Mums pills excluded) rather than have the rules changed for him. I have no problem tolerating someones disabilities but when it gives him a clear advantage in the contest then it is wrong.

[BJ.]

Greatest spin bowler? Is the Pope a Roman Catholic? Was Newton a decent physicist and mathematician? Did Bradman know how to bat? Could Hogan hit a golf ball? All very silly questions.

The abiding genius of spin bowling was Shane Warne. LEGALLY!!! (By the way, I am what is known as a Pom, so I am free of blind jingoism in this matter.)

[Elodie]

YAY! Australia rules!!!

[Harry]

Give me the unimpeachable simplicity of Warney's graceful delivery any day. The ball looped, drifted, dipped and bamboozled. He was the greatest spinner, an entertainer on and off the pitch.

[jon]

yeah but what about Tuffers?

[gokul]

Acording to me, Murali is better than shane.
bcoz of his doosra.........

[paanga veukiso]

shane warne is tne man .when its going to get tough he always produce the unthinkable.

[Sahil]

Murali is the true great, if the example that murali has more wickets against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, equally Warne's Wickest against England should be counted, England were one of the worst teams in the History of Test cricket when Warne started his career and he played more Test matches against them than Murali ever did, If Murli playeda gainst the poor England teams of the 90's as often as Warne, he would be on doulbe the number of wickets he is on now.

[Leslie Udwin]

Hedley Verity test av was 24.37 and his first class av 14.90[world record] Warne weighs in at 25.41 and 24.61.
Verity has the best 1st class figures ever..Test best 8 for 43 and F/C best 10 for 10.[world record] Shane is 8/71 in test and 1st class.All of Warnes records will be broken..Veritys will never be touched.Verity bowled out Bradman 8 times in 16 encounters. Warne bowled out Zimbabwe amongst others. Hedley Verity IS the greatest bowler of all time,any style.

[Brad Donman]

Warney has to be the worlds No ! Murali never had half the women in a spin that our Shane had (has ?) !

[Craig Keighery]

If we are to pick on Murali's suspect action we must also consider Warne's poor drugs record.
Also, the fact that Murali took more wickets against the minnows means nothing - you can only beat who is put in front of you. And nobody dwells on the amount of runs scored against said opponents by Steve Waugh, which increased his average considerably.
For the record I would choose Murali, but both will be remembered as greats.

[vj]

I think Murali benefits from his borderline bowling action, with his arm bent at an abnormal angle.

Thats not the same as Chandra - who had a natural action.

I think the fact that Murali was asked to change his bowling action by cricket speaks for itself.

He has benefited hugely by lax cricket rules . It looks like Shoaib Akhtar also chucks occasionally.

[Ashik]

It is not possible to figure out who is the best among Murali and Warne. So it is so unfair to choose one spinner as a greatest spinner. Because Warny is a leg spinner and Murali is totally opposite of Warne, Murali is a off spinner. These two players are the best of their areas. We should not compare them with each other. Would you please to tell me who is the best among Pele and Maradona??? I think it is impossible. If you ask me who is the greatest spinner I will rate Murali and warne eaqually.

[Dom]

Murali gets my vote, he may have a few wickets against Zimbabwe & Bangladesh, but Warne never had to bowl against the Australians, who unarguably have been the strongest side of recent times. Warne's record against the next best batting side, India compares poorly to the Sri Lankan, who has taken 50% more wickets (67 to 43)

[Tim]

In terms of bowling records, Murali has the world record but 163 of his wickets were against Bangladesh & Zimbabwe (vs 17 for Warne against those nations) - so Warne's tally still rates best in terms of quality....for the moment. No doubt Murali will go on to take plenty more wickets to erase that anomaly.
I don't agree with people who suggest that the criticism that Murali has endured because of his bowling action makes him a better bowler than Warne. The simple truth is that he is a great bowler with an unorthodox (but officially sanctioned and therefore fair) action.
I'd happily have both players in my team.

[Andrew]

Don't forget, Murali has taken many wickets against cricket's minnows and on the spin-friendly pitches of the sub-continent. Warne consistently performed against all nations, in all parts of the world. Given the choice I would take Warne any day of the week!

[David]

I can simply say that Murali is the greatest spinner of all times. He was hacked by Australian for sometime. They give him immense torture just because he spin ball with great variety. This doesnot mean Shane is not good bowler but i am very proud to crown Murali best bowler....

[Arunmozhi]

In my view Murali is great than Shane because he was disturbed by Australians by calling him three times for test for his action. but he came out of that and become the highest wiket taker. so Murali is all time great.