Five spinners to watch out for in World T20 2016

The initial years of the World T20 raised an uneasy question on the inclusion of spinners in the side. The wickets became batsman friendly, the boundary ropes was shortened considerably and bigger bats have made it all the more difficult for the bowlers. For spinners, their place in the side came under considerable question when the batsmen tee-off given their slower balls. However, a few spinners have made it through the toughest tests to make their mark in international cricket. As Peter Miller once put it, “When T20 first arrived, it was thought there would be no space there for spinners. But just as the beauty of words has withstood the Twitter era, the charm of spin bowling has stayed alive, even flowered, in T20 cricket. And that is so nice to see.” That said, we take a look at five spinners who could potentially make a mark on the big stage of the tournament. 1. Ravichandran Ashwin (India) Ravichandran Ashwin. (Photo Source: BCCI) Ravichandran Ashwin is without a doubt the best spinner in the world at the moment. While his philosophy of bowling may seem quite simple, his ability to bamboozle the batsman is somewhat of a bowling miracle. One of a kind in foxing the batsman with flight and bounce, Ashwin is also known to play mind games with the batsman. Ashwin is an integral part of the Indian side, someone who cannot be left out of the starting XI. He has been in simply amazing form, helping the Indians to pick up wins against Australia and triumph the Asia. He has picked up 15 wickets in the last 10 T20I matches he has played. 2. Adam Zampa (Australia) Adam Zampa of Australia. (Photo by MARTY MELVILLE/AFP/Getty Images) The first sighting of 23-year old Adam Zampa was for the Melbourne Stars in the 2015 edition of the Big Bash League. Such was his impact that he was immediately drafted into the Australian side for the tour of New Zealand. He is also famous for being a carbon-copy of the legendary spinner Shane Warne. Possessing impressive control and variety, though not an outrageous turner of the ball, Zampa has also showed leadership potential as captain of Sutherland in Sydney grade competition. He has picked up 14 wickets in all competitions in the year 2016 and will be key for Australia in the upcoming World T20. 3. Adil Rashid (England) Adil Rashid. (© Getty Images) Adil Rashid made a comeback to the England squad in the fall of 2015 following a disastrous World Cup campaign in 2015. Despite not making much of an impact with the ball, the selectors persisted with Rashid in T20 internationals. Their patience bore fruit as he began performing with the ball early on during England’s tour of South Africa. He picked up 8 wickets in the ODI series and followed it up with 4 wickets in the subsequent T20I matches. He now faces the prospect of helping the Brits in conditions conducive to spinners. 4. Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) Rangana Herath. (© Getty Images) 37-year old Rangana Herath is perhaps Sri Lanka’s only hope in the upcoming World T20. With vast experience playing in the subcontinent, it is no secret that Herath will be expected to bask in glory on the slow and turning tracks in India. Having taken over from the great Muttiah Muralitharan is strengths are his accuracy and his ability to bowl long spells, but to that he has added a ‘mystery’ ball, a delivery that is quicker and darts back into the right-hander. He took 5/3 against New Zealand in the semifinal of the 2014 edition of the World T20. 5. Nathan McCullum (New Zealand) Nathan McCullum. (© Getty Images) It is widely thought that Nathan McCullum’s inclusion in the New Zealand squad for the World T20 is simply for ceremonial purposes. However, despite this, McCullum has proved to be a witty and dangerous customer in these conditions. Primarily an off-break bowler, McCullum will be hoping that his swansong can help the Kiwis clinch the World T20 for the first time in their history. At the moment, with an injury to Mitch Santner, it would seem as though the older of the McCullum’s has been pulled out of oblivion to do battle in India. All eyes will be on him as he makes his way back to the subcontinent in New Zealand colors.

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Five spinners to watch out for in World T20 2016

4. Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka)

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