Top 5 Spinners Of All Time In The ICC Test Rankings: Spin bowling is all about patience, skill, and the ability to shape a Test match with moments of magic. It’s a craft that has produced some of cricket’s most iconic names. Here’s a look at the very best spinners in history, ranked by the ICC all-time Test rankings.
How the ICC Rankings Work
The ICC uses a points system that rates players between 0 and 1,000 based on their performances. What makes it fascinating is that this system has been applied retrospectively, so legends from the past can be compared with modern-day stars. Crossing the 900-point mark is rare territory, and only a handful of spinners have managed to get there, proving just how dominant they were.
The list below shows the highest rating each spinner reached during their Test career.
Top 5 Spinners Of All Time In The ICC Test Rankings
1. Muttiah Muralitharan:
920 points vs Bangladesh, 2007.
Muttiah Muralitharan is the highest-rated spinner in the all-time ICC Test rankings. Even till this date, Muttiah remains unmatched for his solid performances and sheer consistency, which continues to inspire the youngsters.
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Muralitharan is the leading wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket, with 800 wickets under his name. He concluded his legendary career at an average of 22.72. It has to be noted that while no other bowler has been able to pick a 10-wicket haul on more than 10 occasions, Muralitharan picked a 10-wicket haul on 22 occasions. Murali also held the No.1 ICC ranking for a record 1,711 days, which is the longest time for any bowler in the history of this game.
2. Tony Lock:
912 points (vs New Zealand, 1958)
England’s Tony Lock was one of the finest spinners of his time, peaking at 912 points in 1958. Across 49 Tests, he picked up 174 wickets at an average of 25.58. He is also remembered as the bowler who claimed the “other wicket” during Jim Laker’s famous 19-90 in 1956.
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Selected for the 1952 Ashes when he was just 20, Lock went on to build a career defined by consistency and control, which eventually carried him to that outstanding rating.
3. Derek Underwood:
907 points (vs New Zealand, 1971)
Known as “Deadly” because of the havoc he caused on damp and sticky pitches, Derek Underwood remains England’s leading Test spinner with 297 wickets. His record includes 17 five-wicket hauls, six ten-wicket matches, and a strike rate of 73.6 that stood out in his era.
In 1971, he reached a career-high of 907 points, the third-highest rating ever achieved by a spinner in the ICC rankings.
4. Shane Warne:
905 points (vs England, 1994)
It took Shane Warne less than two years to rise to the top levels of the rankings, hitting a peak of 905 points. Widely regarded as the greatest leg-spinner the game has ever seen, Warne transformed spin bowling with his prodigious turn, pinpoint accuracy, and flair for the dramatic.
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He ended his career with 708 wickets in 145 Tests, including 37 five-wicket hauls and 10 ten-wicket matches. His legendary “ball of the century” to Mike Gatting in 1993 remains one of cricket’s most unforgettable moments.
5. R Ashwin:
904 points (vs England, 2016)
In modern cricket, Ravichandran Ashwin has been the heart of India’s dominance at home. Blending sharp off-spin with clever variations, he quickly became India’s most reliable match-winner.
Out of his 537 Test wickets, a massive 383 came in India, often in games where he single-handedly turned the tide. Alongside Ravindra Jadeja, he formed one of the most feared spin partnerships in recent history. Ashwin wrapped up his career with 32 five-wicket hauls and eight ten-wicket matches.
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