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When the BBL starts, Brad Hogg at age 43 will be exhibiting the game’s most underused art. Sadly, there appears to be very few left-arm chinaman bowlers on the horizon to replace him.
In an interesting article, which gave me the idea for this piece, Dylan Carmody implored for the continuation of the true leg spinner.
I think right-arm wrist spin will continue to exhibit those who gave the ball a rip, particularly in Test cricket.
It is the fate of the left-arm variety that I am concerned with, because they have less encouragement than the right-armers as their stock delivery spins back into the right-hander.
In the 21st century, there have really only been two specialist left-arm chinaman bowlers of note; Hogg and Paul Adams, whose bowling action was so unique no one will replace him. Others like Simon Katich were underused change bowlers, in the side for their batting.
Even though it’s a cause for lament, there is an opportunity for an international side to exploit the unfamiliarity of batsmen to this style of bowling. It won’t be someone with the skill of Abdul Qadir or Shane Warne, but possibly enough to make a sizeable difference.
Such a player will not come from Bangladesh. With their conditions and defensive strategies, the only left-arm chinaman bowlers that will ever come from that country are player generated in EA Sports.
As the West Indies has become a great production line for spinners, there is a chance that one of the islands will find a candidate. To date however, only Dave Mohammed represented the West Indies in the 21st century bowling left-arm chinaman. Despite a five-wicket haul against India, his international career was short-lived.
South Africa has contributed an above-average stock of left-arm wrist spin in the history of Test cricket. Adams’ demise represented, unfortunately, the cessation of the type in the South African side. Any left-armers, including Adams’ replacement Nicky Boje, have been left-arm orthodox to date.
Here in Australia we are more likely to provide this sort than anyone else. At this time I can see no one in any of the state squads who bowls left-arm chinaman and in club cricket they are rare indeed.
Best to enjoy Hogg while you can. When he’s gone, you’ll have to wait a while for a replacement.
Thankfully while the die is cast here, there is promise from India – and that’s not a traditional birthplace of left-arm chinaman. In the Under-19 World Cup Kuldeep Yadav received attention and from reports has some skill. He might be a better option on the bouncier pitches found in countries like Australia compared to Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
I hope Yadav or some other left-arm chinaman bowler makes their mark in all formats of the game. Cricket would poorer for the partial or full extinction of the left-arm chinaman bowler.
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