The top 5 exponents of the slower ball in world cricket today

#5 Mitchell McClenaghan

Mitchell McClenaghan has played 48 ODIs for New Zealand

Mitchell McClenaghan may be a surprise entry into this list but his art of changing the face of the match by mastering the skill of using variations cannot be ignored. His height and burly physique compliment the type of bowling he is famous for, most of which is short and fired into the pitch.

Preferred by New Zealand over Tim Southee and Trent Boult because of his ability to bowl on the slowish Indian tracks in the ICC WT20 2016, McClenaghan did not disappoint as he played a crucial role in taking the Kiwis to the semi-final.

He bowled a spell of 3/17 against Australia in their group match that won him the Man of the Match award. This included the wicket of the dangerous looking Watson, who was out to a perfectly disguised slower one.

The joint second fastest to 50 ODI wickets, McClenaghan has the off cutter and the leg cutter in his armoury, which makes him a huge asset to his team. Coupled with tight lines and the bounce he generates with his height, the slower ball often leads the batsmen to play wrong shots and fall into the trap set by him.

His slower ball came to the rescue of his IPL team, Mumbai Indians several times, as he picked up 18 wickets in his debut season in 2015. This also included a match-winning 3/25 in the final versus Chennai Super Kings.