| Inshan Ali, the late Trinidad and Tobago and West | | | | That would be the zenith for Ali, as he never |
| Indies left arm wrist spinner, was a rarity in | | | | reproduced his hometown form for the regional team |
| international cricket-by virtue of his bowling style. It | | | | again, save for his last Test against Pakistan, where |
| was his unusual style-bowling wrist spin from the left | | | | he took a match haul of 5/159 in Port of Spain. |
| arm and the famous "chinaman"-that fetched him a | | | | Indeed, Ali's record demonstrates that he clearly |
| heap of wickets at First Class level in the Caribbean. | | | | preferred bowling on his home ground, which was |
| However, Ali's production at domestic level did not | | | | known to be conducive to spin bowling. In seven |
| mirror his returns at international level. | | | | Test matches at the Queens Park Oval, the left arm |
| Born in Preysal, Trinidad on September 25, 1949, | | | | unorthodox bowler took 29 wickets at an average |
| Inshan Ali made his debut as a 16 year old for T&T | | | | of 37.24. Contrast this with his overall record, which |
| during the 1965/66 First Class season. He was a | | | | was 34 wickets from 12 Tests at an average of |
| prodigy at the time and troubled many batsmen at | | | | 47.67. Inshan Ali was not a genuine rabbit with the |
| that level. After playing for some years, he earned a | | | | bat; he scored 172 runs, averaged 10.75 runs per |
| call-up to the West Indies team-against India at | | | | innings and was good enough to score three First |
| Bridgetown in 1971. Ali took only one wicket, as the | | | | Class half centuries. |
| W.I. drew that match. | | | | As mentioned before, it was at First Class level that |
| It was only in his fourth Test match-at his home | | | | Ali excelled with the ball. In 90 matches, he scalped |
| ground, Queens Park Oval, in Port of Spain-that the | | | | 328 wickets. If you remove his Test record from |
| chinaman bowler made an impact with the ball. | | | | that analysis, Ali played 78 matches for T&T |
| Against New Zealand, he took a career-best haul of 5 | | | | between 1965 and 1980 and took 296 wickets, with |
| 59 off 26.4 overs as the visitors barely managed to | | | | four 10-wicket and 16 five-wicket hauls-an impressive |
| hold on for a draw. His two wickets in the second | | | | record. |
| innings gave Ali his best match haul of 7/158 as well. | | | | |