Cricket needs another Shane Warne: Ex-Pak bowler Saqlain Mushtaq

Former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mustaq has said that international cricket is in dire need of a world class spinner on the lines of legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Speaking in a free-wheeling interview with Pak Passion, Mushtaq said that while he was impressed with the performances of Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja and West Indian spinner Sunil Narine, the game of cricket still needed a spinner of star quality similar to the command that Warne had over international cricketers between 1992 and 2007.

He specifically praised the all-round qualities of Ashwin in all forms of the game.

On Jadeja, he said that while he has proven his class in one-day and Twenty20 cricket, he was yet to establish himself as a Test spinner.

Test cricket, he said, requires the utilisation of a very different set of skills.

He also said that he was in favour of spinners innovating at every opportunity, and added that if the pause delivery is working and confusing the batsmen, spinners should persist with it.

He said that cricket required a fresh set of role models similar to leg-spinners like Abdul Qadir, Shane Warne, Mushtaq Ahmed and Anil Kumble.

"These days there are no role models for up-and-coming leg-spinners and it's disappointing. What leg-spin bowling needs is another Shane Warne, someone who can inspire the next generation," Mushtaq said.

"Leg-spin is a unique and difficult art, and one that needs to be nurtured and protected at all levels of the game," he added.

Currently employed as Bangladesh's spinning coach, Mushtaq said that he would be more than happy to offer his coaching services and skills to the PCB, if approached.