Spinners refer to those bowlers in cricket who master the art of imparting a spin on the ball with their finger or wrist to change its direction after pitching. They are usually seen in action during the middle overs of an innings when the bowl roughens up, thereby increasing its chances of spin.
Leg spinners are bowlers who turn the ball from the leg stump to the off stump (point of view of the right-handed batter). They are also capable of other variations like the googly, flipper, top spin, and slider. This article explains the details of the slider.
A slider is a ball that is also called the zooter. This is because of the pace with which it skids towards the batter. The skidding action of the ball is because of the manner in which the seam is held by the bowler. The seam is positioned diagonally, whereas the position of the thumb is towards the bowler.
When the bowler releases the slider, the ball’s smoother leathery part, and not the seam, makes contact with the pitch, making it slide towards the batter. While the flipper bounces higher, the slider keeps low. The slider more often produces a leg before wicket dismissal due to the absence of leg spin and the faster approach towards the batter.
Australia’s Peter Philipott and Doug Ring are said to be the earliest users of the slider. Later generations of Australian cricket saw Richie Benaud and Shane Warne use this variation and popularize it through the next generations.
