In cricket, batting and bowling both play a vital role in any team's success. In one-day cricket, if bowlers fail to perform on a day, batsmen have the chance to win the game.

But in Test cricket, if bowlers fail to deliver, no team can win a Test. Without taking 20 wickets in a Test, success may remain a dream.

Fast bowlers always play a vital role in the success of any cricket team. They are the front-line soldiers. After the Test and ODIs, spinners now have a vital role to play in Twenty20 cricket too, a huge improvement from the early days when they were considered an easy target.

In the 1970s and '80s fast bowlers dominated the game of cricket. But since the 1990s, spinners have been dominating the world of cricket. Some spinners will always be remembered for their extraordinary performances for a long period in international cricket.

India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have regularly produced quality spinners who won matches for their teams. Abdul Qadir, Anil Kumble, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq and Saeed Ajmal perfected the art of spin.

But Australian legend Shane Warne and Sri Lankan maestro Muttiah Muralitharan left behind all the other spinners. Most of the spinners' performance is linked with supporting conditions, but Warne and Muralitharan proved themselves even in unsupportive conditions.

Pakistan has a rich history of producing quality spinners. However, there is a perception that Pakistan is currently not producing as many quality spinners as it used to. Occasionally a bowler performs well, but there is no real threat for the opposition on a regular basis. Our spinners neither keep the run rate down nor do they pick up wickets.

Currently, leg-spinner Yasir Shah is the only experienced spinner in Pakistan for Test matches, but has been ineffective recently. Shadab Khan has the capability to perform well, but he doesn't get chances in Test cricket.

Yasir Shah has played 44 Test matches, taking 244 wickets with an average of over 31. His best performance - 8 wickets for 41 runs - came against New Zealand.

Yasir was an integral part of Misbah-ul-Haq's Pakistan side that topped the ICC Test Rankings for the first time in 2016. Yasir had replaced Ajmal who was suspended from bowling after his action was declared illegal in September 2014.

Yasir is the quickest bowler in Test cricket history to have taken 200 wickets - he did it in only his 33rd Test. He is not a great turner of the ball and is now not able to extract the bounce that he did early on in his career.

Slow Left arm orthodox bowler Nauman Ali has played 13 Tests for Pakistan, taking 37 wickets, averaging 37.18, with best bowling figures of 6-107 against Australia.

Abrar Ahmed, a legbreak googly bowler, has played four Tests, taking 28 wickets at an average of 33.64.

In his first two matches, against England, he took 17 wickets, averaging 27.17. In the next two matches, against New Zealand, also at home, he took 11 wickets at a higher average of 43.63.

Offbreak spinner Sajid Khan has played 7 Tests for the national team and claimed 22 wickets at a high average of 37.81.

The above stats show that except Yasir Shah no spinner has managed to cement his place in the national squad. Nauman, Abrar and Sajid have played only 24 Tests.

Pakistan's first assignment in the 2023-25 cycle of the ICC World Test Championship will begin against Sri Lanka next month. The first Test will commence at the Galle International Cricket Stadium on 16 July and the two teams will then travel to Colombo for the second Test at the Singhalese Sports Club from 24 July.

For the preparation of the Sri Lanka tour, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) organised a specialised camp for spinners at the National Cricket Academy earlier this month to enhance their skills and test fitness in challenging conditions in Sri Lanka.

Abrar Ahmed, Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Zahid Mehmood, Ali Asfand, Arafat Minhas, Faisal Akram, Mohammad Junaid, Mehran Mumtaz, Mubasir Khan, Qasim Akram, and Sufiyan Muqeem attended the camp.

Like any other cricketing nation, Pakistan has gone through transition phases where experienced players retire, and new talent takes time to establish themselves at the international level. The absence of experienced spinners in the team can create a temporary gap in producing quality spinners.

Pakistan has traditionally been known for its fast bowlers, who have had great success on the international stage. The emphasis on nurturing and developing fast bowlers might have taken some attention away from the spin department. As a result, resources and efforts might have been directed more towards pace bowling, leading to relatively fewer spinners coming through the system.

The domestic cricket structure in Pakistan has faced challenges and changes over the years. These changes can impact the development of spinners at the grassroots level. A well-organised and competitive domestic structure is essential for identifying and nurturing talented spinners from a young age.

Spin bowling requires a thorough understanding of different conditions and the ability to adapt to them. In Pakistan there are limited opportunities for spinners to gain experience of diverse conditions, which can hinder their development.

Pakistan has a rich history of spin bowling, and it is likely that with the right focus, investment, and development strategies, the country will once again produce skilled spinners in the future.

The management should hire some former spinners like Mushtaq Ahmed, Saqlain Mushtaq or Saeed Ajmal who have enough international experience so that they can groom young spinners according to national team requirements.

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