Don't Think Captains Have Understood Wrist Spin Bowling As Well As They Should've: Ian Chappell On Lack Of Leg-Spinners In Australia

Former Australia cricketer Ian Chappell believes captains were partly to blame for the lack of leg-spin options in the current Test team, saying skippers are yet to understand how wrist-spin bowling works in the longest format of the game. In the last 10 years, off-spinner Nathan Lyon has led Australia’s spin attack in Tests. But his series-ending calf injury during the second Ashes Test meant Australia had to use young off-spinner Todd Murphy in two of the remaining three games. It deprived Australia of control from the other end as England came back from 2-0 down to end the series at 2-2.

Ever since Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill retired from Tests in 2007 and 2008 respectively, Australia haven’t got a quality leg-spinner who has managed to be a regular in the Test side.  "I don't know whether it's just the lack of wrist spin bowling or whether it's the lack of will in the captains to (give them a chance)."

"It's probably never one thing, it's usually a few things, but I don't think captains have understood wrist spin bowling as well as they should've. In my opinion, the stupidity in some captaincy is they want to save boundaries, but they're quite happy to give up singles."

"What is better, giving up a couple of boundaries in an over or six easy singles? You can't give a good batter easy singles, particularly early in their innings, you've got to be trying to get them out."

"There are times when you've got to have a big heart as a captain. The other thing that plays into it now is there's so much more limited-overs cricket now that I think a lot of captains feel they can't afford to go with wrist spinners because they're too expensive," Chappell was quoted as saying by Wide World of Sports.

Leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson had been previously tried by Australia in Tests but has taken only ten wickets in four matches.

"There's a lot of places where I think a wrist spinner would do well, but there's just not much around at the moment. (Mitchell) Swepson hasn't progressed to the point you would've hoped where he's really pushing Lyon."

"It's been very disappointing. The thing about wrist spin bowling is you've got to have a number of them to even get one good one. New South Wales used to be the home of wrist spin bowling, I can remember playing against NSW teams that had three. There was a string of wrist spinners coming out of NSW, and it just hasn't happened of late," added Chappell.

In the current Australian Test team, both Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne provide part-time wrist spin options for captain Pat Cummins. Chappell feels Labuschagne should get more opportunities with the ball, but urged Cummins to practice patience.

"It's difficult when captains bring on a change bowler and they put a lot of guys out on the boundary because that means it's very difficult for the part-time spinner to keep one player on strike. Anyone with half a brain says, 'Well, I'll just push singles here and there and when the long-hop or full toss comes along, I'll put it away'. I think that's part of the lack of understanding of captains in wrist spin bowling."

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"You've got to be prepared to give them three or four overs and try and take a wicket. It's no good throwing them the ball for an over and hoping they can do something. I've always felt you're better off using a wrist spinner as a change bowler than a finger spinner because there's a lot more variety and you get the odd really good delivery from a wrist spinner," he concluded.