Warne on why visiting spinners struggle

Shane Warne says foreign spinners have struggled in Australia because they bowl too fast and have used the wrong tactics.

The King of Spin has reviewed the statistics of visiting spin bowlers in Australia in the past 25-30 years, with the findings underlying just how difficult it is for touring tweakers to be successful.

India great Anil Kumble has been the most prolific foreign spinner in Australia in the past three decades having captured 49 wickets in 10 Tests at 37.7 runs apiece.

Next is New Zealand legend and Brisbane Heat coach Daniel Vettori, who claimed 37 wickets at 40.2 in 12 matches, followed by Pakistan ace Mushtaq Ahmed (22 at 33.4) and mercurial England off-spinner Graeme Swann (22 at 52.6).

Not on Warne’s list was Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, who took 24 wickets in five Tests at 40.6.

Warne’s analysis points out how hard it is for visiting spinners, including some of the game’s all-time greats, to thrive on the faster, bouncier Australian wickets.

Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker, Muthiah Muralidaran, dominated the world over except for in Australia, where he managed only 12 wickets at 75.4 in five matches.

Harbhajan Singh, destroyer of Australia in the 2001 series in India with 32 wickets, struggled to replicate those feats Down Under. In four Tests, Harbhajan took nine wickets at 73.2.

Even India’s Ravichandran Ashwin, rated the No.1 Test bowler in the world and the 2016 ICC Player of the Year, has battled in Australia, with his record showing 21 wickets in six matches at 54.7.

Comparatively, Australia’s incumbent spinner Nathan Lyon has performed well in his own conditions, using the extra bounce his action generates to claim 112 wickets at 34.3 in 31 Tests, while Pakistan’s chief spinner Yasir Shah has taken just six wickets in two matches at 63.5.

Lyon has been under pressure to retain his spot throughout the summer having claimed 11 wickets at 55.7 in five Tests, but Warne says Lyon has done "pretty well" on his home soil.

"With all the talk about the spinners this summer, I thought I would put together a graph of the main spinners who have toured Australia in the last 25/30 years," Warne posted on Instagram.

"It made for very interesting reading and shows you how the spinners have all struggled on Australian shores.

"Plus how well the Australian batsmen have played them too!

"Plenty of reasons why this is the case, but the main two reasons are the spinners have bowled to fast and had the wrong tactics!

"I could go on, but it also shows Lyon has done pretty well.

"I've added my numbers at the bottom for a comparison!"

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