Former Pakistan spiner Saqlain Mushtaq sings praises of Ravichandran Ashwin, says 'best among all'

When discussing on the subject of best spinners in the cricketing world at the present era, the discourse often goes around Australian Nathan Lyon and India’s Ravichandran Ashwin. Both of them have been on their best in the longest format of the game, and are believed to be almost crucial member of the playing XI in red ball cricket.

Pakistan spin legend Saqlain Mushtaq, who was recently installed as PCB’s head of international player development, gave his view oon both the spinners and stated that he believes Ashwin to be the best among all when playing at home.

“Right now, Nathan Lyon has been giving tremendous performances. He has performed against England, Pakistan, and even against India. As per his performances and strike rate, I think he is one of the best at the moment,” Saqlain told.

“Secondly, there is R Ashwin, who performs really good at home. He performs overseas as well, but there is no other bowler better than him in home conditions. Ravindra Jadeja in Test cricket is also good,” he added.

The Pakistani spin legend also went on to laud Kuldeep Yadav, and outlined him as a smart bowler. “In shorter versions, Kuldeep Yadav from India is also very good. I really like him. He has a huge heart. I have spoken to him a few times. He comes across as really positive and educated, in terms of cricketing knowledge. He’s really good,” Saqlain said.

Saqlain also went on to praise England’s Adil Rashid and Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan. “Adil Rashid has also given good performances. Shakib al Hasan is also really intelligent. I have worked with Bangladesh Cricket Team. Shakib has a strong character, he is really courage, and he uses his brains. He is a clever bowler,” he said.

Talking about Pakistani bowlers, the former spinner said. “In Pakistan, Shadab Khan has a lot of potential, he could be impactful in the longer formats as well. Mushtaq Ahmed has joined the team which is a good news.”

“Yasir Shah has also given good performances. He has given world class performances. He has dominated the entire world. His record shows that. He has suffered from back injuries, and we plan to work on the same,” he added.

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