Electric leggie revives dying art

Test cricket has a new boom leg-spinner after Yasir Shah’s stunning final-day display in Galle won Pakistan the first Test and revived cricket’s dying art.

Shah’s second-innings haul of 7-76 dismantled Sri Lanka on day five of the first Test, ripping leg-breaks past and through the hosts’ bamboozled batsmen.

Super-charged and with endless energy, Shah’s high voltage yet pure action has captured 46 wickets in only eight Tests in what’s been an electric nine months since debuting against Australia in Dubai last October.

If the 29-year-old claims four more wickets in his next match – starting on Thursday in Colombo – he’ll become the joint second-fastest spinner to 50 Test wickets (after West Indian Alf Valentine, who reached the milestone in eight).

His latest efforts in Galle saw Shah burst up the official International Cricket Council Test bowler rankings to 14th place to be Pakistan’s second-highest ranked bowler behind controversial off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.

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Shah had seven reasons to smile in the second innings of the first Test // Getty Images

Test cricket's most prolific leggie, Shane Warne, identified Shah as the "best young leg-spinner" in the world on Twitter, while also predicting a fruitful Test career. 

But behind Shah, there’s a considerable and concerning dearth of leg-spinners in Test cricket.

In the past two years, only five leggies have taken more than 10 Test wickets, with Shah comfortably leading the peloton.

Following the Pakistani in second place is New Zealannd’s Indian-born Ish Sodhi, who in 11 Tests for the Black Caps in the wake of Daniel Vettori’s absence has taken 27 wickets at 52.81.

In third place is South Africa’s Pakistan import Imran Tahir with 17 wickets in five Tests in the past two years.

Jubair Hossain of Bangladesh (13 at 33.46) and West Indian Devendra Bishoo (10 at 28.90) round out the top five.

India’s Karn Sharma (one Test), Australia’s Fawad Ahmed (three ODIs) and England’s Adil Rashid (11 ODIs) are on the outskirts and are yet to cement a spot in their respective national teams, though Rashid’s performances in the recent one-day series against New Zealand has him rated as an Ashes bolter.

It’s a far cry from a decade ago, when Warne, Anil Kumble, Stuart MacGill and Danish Kaneria were plying their trade in a golden age of leg-spin bowling.

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Undisputed King // Getty Images

Warne’s arrival to Test cricket was said to inspire a new generation of leggies, and there are three young bowlers impressing in Australia attempting to become the next King of Spin.

Victoria’s James Muirhead and Quuensland’s Cameron Boyce have already tasted international cricket in the T20 format, while the highly-rated Adam Zampa from South Australia via NSW is currently in England on scholarship.

But it may take some time to see the young trio of leggies flourish.

While Warne, undoubtedly a master of his craft and a genuine freak of nature, mesmerised batsman from an early age, Shah had more than 250 first-class wickets under his belt before spinning his way into stardom. 

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