Introducing a new series, 'CricViz T20 Legends', with the world-leading analysts taking a look at the finest T20 players to come out of the Caribbean.

RUN-PREVENTION KING

At the very core of Sunil Narine’s greatness is his run-prevention ability. Put simply he is the greatest defensive bowler in T20 history. Narine’s economy rate of 6.02 runs per over is the equal best in the world, exactly level with his mentor and countryman Samuel Badree.

However, economy rate can be a misleading measure. Different periods of the innings produce fluctuating run environments with the middle overs typically being the slowest scoring phase of the innings. As a result spinners often dominate lists of best economy rates because overall they operate far more regularly through that middle phase.

Narine, however, is different. Among the format’s major spin bowlers he is one of only three who have bowled the majority of their overs outside the middle overs, operating instead in the tougher periods: the Powerplay and the death.

Not only does Narine not operate through the middle but he is the only spinner in the world to bowl more than a quarter of his overs in the Powerplay and more than a quarter of his overs at the death. It is not uncommon for spinners to bowl a fair chunk of their overs in one of these two phases but Narine does both.

Contextualising a spinner’s overs often makes their raw economy look slightly less impressive because the large majority of them bowl in the middle overs. However, in Narine’s case the fact that he operates as much as he does outside the middle overs makes his economy rate more impressive.

True Economy Rate is a measure that contextualises economy rate and allows cross-phase analysis of bowlers by comparing a bowler’s performance in a given over to the aggregate scoring rate for that over in that year.

By this measure Narine moves well clear as the best defensive bowler in T20 returning a True Economy Rate of -1.75 runs per over which means he concedes 1.75 runs fewer per over than we would expect based on the overs he has bowled in.

A CAREER OF TWO HALVES

Narine’s suspension and remodelling of his bowling action in 2014-15 was a pivot-point for his career. After his initial suspension his bowling changed and his returns changed accordingly: having previously combined a low economy rate with a low strike rate Narine had to settle for being less of a wicket-taking bowler with his strike rate rising significantly higher from 2015 onwards.

Although his economy rate also rose it did so less dramatically and remained elite: since 2015 only Rashid Khan has a better True Economy Rate than Narine.

LONGEVITY

Just as run-saving is at the heart of Narine’s greatness, so too is longevity. Before Narine remodelled his action in 2015 he was, without a doubt, the world’s leading spin bowler. Since 2015 he has been usurped by Rashid but Narine’s career has lasted twice as long.

All sportsmen face setbacks and challenges through their careers but few can have been as fundamental or as serious as Narine’s: forced, mid-career, to alter the way he bowled. Yet Narine has not only emerged, but endured.

Admittedly, he is not the force he once was but even then he remains one of the very best bowlers in the world.

True legendary status is cemented by sustained excellence. Just as Sachin Tendulkar was forced to reinvent his game across an epic career so too has Narine, evolving from wizard to scrooge. After nearly a decade, 8000 balls and more than 350 wickets he is the most prolific spin bowler in the format’s history.