Ten Best Googly Bowlers in Cricket

A googly is delivered from the back of the hands that requires wrists and fingers. It generally turns like an off-spin delivery coming into the pads of a batter. The cricketing world has witnessed leg spinners who bowled googly with great variety and accuracy. In this piece, we discuss ten bowlers who used this delivery cleverly. The bowlers mentioned in the list showcased different skills while bowling this delivery. They adjusted their lengths depending on the conditions and wickets while delivering this delivery but they were penetrative when it came to putting it to use. We take a look at the ten best googly specialists in cricket:

Richie Benaud (Australia)

The late legendary leg spinner bowled a perfect length when it came to bowling a googly. He pitched the ball around the middle and off-stump area due to which the batters found it difficult to cut the ball in the gaps and even the batters couldn’t cut the ball hard and it lacked pace. 

Subhash Gupte (India)

Subhash Gupte was one of the finest leg spinners during the 1950s. His googly was quite deceptive as it surprised even a well-set batter. Gupte’s googly didn’t turn sharply like his leg spin but it was the line that the batters couldn’t judge as he gave enough flight thus putting the batters in two minds.

Anil Kumble (India)

Arguably one of the finest leg spinners in the history of Indian cricket, Kumble’s googlies were always difficult to pick even on batting wickets as they hardly turned. It was the bounce and his accurate length that the batters couldn’t pick hurrying them to play the shot early. His googlies were just like a straighter delivery.

Shane Warne (Australia)

The late legendary leg spinner bowled with tremendous accuracy and consistency. Warne used his wrists to apply variations on the ball while delivering a googly. His googly was much like a quick flipper that turned less unlike his leg spin delivery thus bamboozling the batters to play in the wrong line.

Stuart MacGill (Australia)

 MacGill showcased his clever variety when it came to bowling a googly that turned a long way. His flight, turn and bounce made it difficult for the batters to play on the front foot. He used his wrists to good effect while his round arm action created problems for the batters to judge the length.

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Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistan)

Mushtaq Ahmed’s deceptive length and awkward bowling action were difficult to judge. His googly was a mix of turn and flight. Sometimes he delivered a quicker googly than expected that skidded and surprised the batters. He applied variations through his fingers.

Amit Mishra (India)

Mishra’s unpredictable length and turn surprised the best batters in world cricket. While bowling a googly Mishra bowled quicker through the air. If the wicket was slow he gave the ball a bit of air but on fast wickets, he bowled quicker googlies. The leg spinner adjusted his length depending on the wickets.

BS Chandrashekhar (India)

Chandrashekhar was one of the wiliest leg spinners in world cricket during the 1970s. He suffered a polio attack in his childhood but the leg spinner bowled with tremendous accuracy. His googlies were difficult to read as he used his fingers cleverly. Sometimes he flighted the ball but sometimes he bowled quicker through the air using his index finger so that ball made limited movement after landing.

Danish Kaneria (Pakistan)

Kaneria was surely one of the finest leg spinners in Pakistan cricket. The former leg spinners flighted the ball cleverly while bowling a googly drawing the batters to play on the front foot which made them play the wrong length as the ball would crash onto the stumps by sneaking through the bat and pad. 

Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Rashid Khan possesses one of the finest googlies in modern-day cricket. The Afghanistan leg spinner bowls quicker through the air due to which the ball zips through the bat and pad quickly giving the batters very less time to defend or play a shot.

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