Is Kaneria the best of the new generation of spinners?

[Andy Mellon]

More stuff on Danish today. He's announced that he's going to try and show the Pakistan selectors that he can be a key ODI player after being left out for the VB Series. Actually, I think the Pakistani selectors have got this spot on. Kaneria seems to thrive on having something to aim at - I think that having been left out of the ODI matches, he's going to knuckle down further and focus on improving his ability to restrict scoring easily off his bowling. This can only be a good thing. Its a bit like the age old "treat 'em mean, keep 'em keen".

[Maranello]

Kaneria vows to find permanent place in Pakistan one-day squad

Danish now has 102 wickets in 23 tests after a haul of 15 wickets in the three tests but played in just 10 one-dayers said he played in all the one-day games for English county Essex last year and he didn’t see himself only as a test bowler.

"The team management just told me I should go home and rest and prepare for the test tour of India in February," he said on his exclusion from the one-day squad.

"I am disappointed naturally. Because I think I could also have bowled well in the one-dayers. I am not tired nor under any pressure after the test series. Infact I think I am far more confident bowler now," he stated.

Aussie greats keen to guide impressive Kaneria in career

"Benaud and Chappell specially told former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis that they wanted to meet the young Kaneria as they were very impressed with his spirit, commitment and bowling in the tests," a source said.

According to him Danish had held a hour long meeting with Benaud himself a former leg spinner batsman who captured over 200 test wickets in his playing days.

"Benaud discussed at length with Danish the art of leg spin and other cricket matters and and also gave him his e-mail address. Assuring him that he was free to discuss anything or seek advice from him whenever he wanted," the source said.

He said Chappell had met Kaneria over dinner and also spent quite some time with him passing him on valuable advice.

Benaud infact said on television that after many years he had seen a proper visiting leg spinner play on the grounds of Australia and tipped him to match the feats of Shane Wrane in the coming years.

Talented Kaneria impresses

"He is one of the finest young leg-spinners to come to Australia from any team in a long time. He loves the challenge of bowling to the best players and that will take him a long way," Lawry commented.

Benaud and Chappell have no doubt that Kaneria’s stint with English county Essex has helped him become a better bowler and learn more about his art. "The former England captain Graham Gooch is the Essex manager and he has taken keen interest in the development of Kaneria and he was telling me he is one for the future," Benaud said.

[Shaka]

Kaneria obviously wants to play in every match, and in normal circumstances he'd be picked for the ODI series - I have no doubt he would take wickets. Unfortunately for him though his spot as a leggie is currently held by Afridi for the ODI's who has done very well with the ball in that version of the game, and is obviously a far better batsman and fielder too.

[Paoli]

I'm not sure whether Afridi is supposed to be a batting or bowling allrounder. Channel 9 said that Pakistan hopes he ll turn into a bowling allrounder, but batting at 6 seems to me that he is a batting allrounder---his 45, cruelly cut short by a run out, was also indicative of that.

Well leg spinners aren't really meant for the One Day Game--Shane Warne and Anil Kumble broke that mould..

[Shaka]

Paoli, Afridi used to be considered a batting all rounder but his 'batting' was probably better described as lunatic slogging. The test innings you are talking about he for one of the few times in his life actually got his head down and didn't try and belt every single ball out of the ground. It was a sobering reminder that this is a guy who scored 141 to save a test in India.

Anyway, since his comeback into the ODI side he has been bowling very well and since the focus has shifted from his batting to his bowling he has contributed well with the bat as well coming in at no 6 rather than as a pinch hitting opener. I think he'll do quite well in the coming VB series, he bowls very fast leggies and mixes the ball up with off spinners as well. Not as easy playing him when the pressure is on to get runs.

[Ernest]

Well Andy,he has a good strike rate here looks a very promising player, he has the same strike rate in one day cricket, but has not played many matches @ one day level.

[bablu22]

Kaneria is a good bowler. but he still got alot to learn.

[Zainub]

For the one hundredeth time...Afridi has always been a bowling all rounder. He's a leg spinner who likes to hit every balls he face for a six in the stand (or half of 'em anyway)...individuals can decide for themselves if they want to call that batting or slogging...but it is for a fact that he can bat, and is certainly competant, and has improved temprement wise tremendously in recent times. His bowling though has always been "very" good. And it has always been his main forte. He rates his leg spin very highly. And like he showed with his match winning spell of 3-13 yesterday, he is not wrong.

[Maranello]

The Indian tour was another success for young Kaneria. Most leggies struggle in India, and even the likes of Abdul Qadir and Shane Warne have been put to the sword. Kaneria, however, picked up 19 wickets @31, including two five-fors. Accolades and praise has been pouring in from all in India, who similar to the Australians before them, are seriously impressed by the youngster.

For two consecutive series, the guy has outperformed his opposite leggie; when you consider that this means he has done better than Shane Warne in Aus, and better than Anil Kumble in India, you get a measure of the man's achievement. Sure, he did more bowling than Warne as he was Pakistan's second strike bowler, but then Kaneria also had a much stronger batting line-up to deal with, compared to the one Warne mesmerised. As for Kumble, the India leggie actually bowled more overs than Kaneria, gave away more runs, and took fewer wickets at a much higher average.

For the first time, Kaneria is in the world top ten bowlers; I have a feeling he might stay there for a while!

[Zainub]

You beat me to do a post on this subject Anyway, there is no reason anyone should disagree with everything you have said.

With all the premiere spinners in world cricket, I speak of Kumble, Warne and Murali, coming to the later half of their careers it will be not long before Kaneria will be the best in the world (ahead of the likes of Harbajjan and Vettori, who both have still got plenty left in them). I expect him to take many wickets in the years to come both for Pakistan as well as for Essex. His continued progress has been heartenning. Long may it continue.