Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Aryan Dutt have a lot in common. Both are young off-spinners plying their trade for sides that have belied the expectations at the ongoing ODI World Cup.
But a unique intersection between the two lies in the fact that they are spinners who open the bowling, a breed of cricketers as rare as a bad kebab restaurant in Lucknow.
Only 40 spinners have opened the bowling in ODI World Cups. Among the 40, only six have done so in more than three innings. Mujeeb leads the pack with 12 innings, while Aryan is third with six.
On Friday, Mujeeb’s Afghanistan and Aryan’s Netherlands will take on each other in a clash that will determine the trajectory of both sides in the tournament. Irrespective of the result, it will likely be an out-of-ordinary sight to watch two teams operate with a spinner from the start.
In the list of spinners to have opened the bowling in ODI World Cups for the most time, wedged in between Aryan and Mujeeb, is New Zealand’s Dipak Patel.
A product of Kiwis skipper Martin Crowe’s era-defining tactical prowess, Dipak opened the bowling for New Zealand on eight occasions in the 1992 and 1996 World Cups. The off-spinner proved to be an effective presence at the top, going at an economy of only 3.30 while taking eight wickets at an average of 28.66 in games he opened the bowling. His performance was vital to New Zealand’s semifinal entry in 1992.
But, Dipak’s success as an opening bowler didn’t set a precedent for spinners to operate up top, as teams continued to operate in the established template, of pacers up front. However, the advent of T20 and the success of the tweakers as PowerPlay enforcers in the format have rekindled the spark, that Crowe once lit.
To put into perspective, in just eight T20 World Cups, there have been 17 spinners who have opened the bowling in more than three innings. Even in T20 franchise tournaments, like the IPL, spin bowlers like R. Ashwin and Samuel Badree have proven the worth of spinners in the early stages of matches despite the odds being stacked against them.
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The presence and success of Aryan and Mujeeb in this World Cup only seems to be a natural progression.
But what should be noted is that both these young spinners perform their role in contrasting fashion.
The 22-year-old Mujeeb is as difficult a bowler to classify as is he to pick. The internet puts him down as an off-spinner. But to someone seeing him bowl for the first time, he might as well be a medium pacer, who is capable of turning the ball either way with equal ability.
His tall frame and high release point, combined with his quickish action make it tough for batters to pick him. What makes him even harder to play is the extent of topspin he imparts on his deliveries.
In this World Cup, Mujeeb has offered Afghanistan control early on, bowling at an economy of 5.30 in the opening PowerPlay, setting the stage for colleagues to ease in.
For Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott, what sets Mujeeb apart is his willingness to take up the responsibility of bowling the tough overs.
“He is one of the only spinners I know who wants to bowl in the PowerPlay. He sees that as his role and I think that can only benefit us as a side. It is also what benefits him, mentality-wise.
“People around the world know how good a bowler he is, the variations he has, how he can manipulate which way he spins the ball depending on the strength of the opposition batsman. His accuracy, certainly in the last few games, has been getting better and better. He is world-class in the powerplay. I’m looking certainly tomorrow for him to continue his form and make inroads and have an impact on the game tomorrow,” said Trott ahead of the Netherlands matchup.
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In contrast to Mujeeb, Aryan is an off-spinner of the classic mould. The 20-year-old is a tad slower than Mujeeb and also doesn’t possess the sheer variety of variations of the Afghan spinner.
But what he lacks in mystery, he makes up with his control. In the six innings he has bowled in the World Cup so far, he has picked eight wickets at an economy of 4.96, which drops to an impressive 4.56 in the opening PowerPlay.
“I think that he’s [Aryan] done extremely well this tournament. He’s not only someone that can contain, but he can also take wickets. Not many batters have looked to go after him. It means that we can squeeze from one end, and the seamers can attack from the other. He’s still very young, and he’ll grow from strength to strength. He is a huge asset for us,” said Dutch all-rounder Colin Ackermann on the eve of the Afghanistan match.
Mujeeb and Aryan are only the latest to follow in the path laid out by Dipak. But the duo – enabled by their early success and years left in the tank – has the potential to make the practice of spinners opening the bowling in ODIs a far more regular sight.
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