The Doosra: Saqlain Mushtaq's Off-Spin Variation Explained

The doosra — Urdu for 'the other one' — is an off-spinner's variation that turns from leg to off for a right-handed batter, the reverse of the standard off-break. Invented by Pakistan's Saqlain Mushtaq in the 1990s, it is one of the most coveted and controversial deliveries in cricket because of the wrist action required to bowl it legally.

How the Doosra Is Bowled

A standard off-break is released with the fingers spinning the ball from right to left (clockwise for a right-arm bowler), which makes it turn from off to leg. The doosra requires the wrist and fingers to spin the ball in the opposite direction — anti-clockwise — which naturally causes the elbow to flex beyond the legal 15-degree limit for most bowlers. Very few players can bowl it with a fully legal, straight arm.

The Legality Controversy

The ICC allows a maximum elbow flexion of 15 degrees in a bowling action. Tests of bowlers claiming to use the doosra have repeatedly shown elbow flexion beyond this limit. Saqlain Mushtaq, Harbhajan Singh, and Shoaib Malik have all been reported or tested at various times. Muttiah Muralitharan's unique hyperextension cleared ICC scrutiny, but for most off-spinners the doosra strains the boundaries of legality.

The Off-Spinner's Arsenal

For off-spinners who cannot or choose not to bowl the doosra, the carrom ball and the arm ball serve a similar purpose — delivering a delivery that does not turn (or turns the other way) to surprise the batter. The carrom ball is flicked from the middle finger and thumb; the arm ball slides on with the seam and goes straight. Both are effective legal alternatives within a modern off-spinner's toolkit.