Hyderabad: With team composition affecting the results of the matches to a larger extent, players have a specialised role in each setup. A right balance of batters, bowlers and all-rounders is needed to make the winning formula. Now, in the modern era, a cricketer is expected to have all the skills to play a vital role in the team.
Pacers and spinners both play a key role in any playing XI. However, there are some of bowlers who have been pacers as well as spinners and we take a look at them in the article.
Muttiah Muralitharan
Legendary Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is one of those bowlers who switched to spin from pace bowling. Muralitharan was a pace bowler but he switched his bowling style on the advice of the school coach. The legendary spinner picked 800 Test wickets, 534 ODI scalps and 13 T20I dismissals.
Muralithan’s domination in Test cricket was unmatchable and he is the highest wicket-taker in the red-ball cricket. Also, the off-spinner holds records for most wickets at a single ground taking 166 wickets at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo.
Anil Kumble
Former Indian leg-spinner and head coach, Kumble used to bowl medium pace. However, his brother told him to switch to spin bowling and he became India’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. He has 953 wickets in all formats which includes 619 Test wickets and 337 ODI scalps.
Kumble is one of the only three bowlers to take 10 wickets in an innings of a Test match. He achieved the feat against Pakistan in 1999.
Ravichandran Ashwin
The Indian off-spinner who retired recently from international cricket is also one of the bowlers to switch to spin bowling from pace. At the start of his career, Ashwin used to open the innings and bowl medium pace. However, he opted off-spin after advice from his friends and coach. He has 537 Test wickets, 156 ODI scalps and 72 T20 dismissals to his name.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal started as a pace bowler at the junior level but he switched to spin soon after his father advised him to do so. Chahal has picked 121 ODI wickets and 96 T20I wickets.
Varun Chakravarthy
Chakravarthy switched on to spin bowling from pace and rose to fame as a mystery spinner in the cricket world. The Tamil Nadu-based spinner used to bowl medium pace but an injury to his knee made him shift to spin bowling. He has picked 33 wickets in ODIs and has taken 1 T20I wickets.
