The history of spin bowling has seen the emergence of match‑winners who could alter the course of the game by controlling, spinning and turning the ball. The question of who's the best spinner in the world is dependent on many factors such as the format, the present form and the ability to play under various conditions. Players like Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble earned fame by demonstrating their ability to bowl accurately and consistently. They set an example for spin bowlers of modern times.

In cricket Rashid Khan is considered one of the best white‑ball spin bowlers. On the hand there are numerous specialists in Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals such, as Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nathan Lyon and others. The ICC rankings give a way to compare active bowlers in Tests, ODIs and T20 internationals. It should be noted that the ranking changes regularly depending on the performance and updates.