Cricket Xtra: Emergence of Shah has taken focus away from Ajmal

Ajit Vijaykumar 11:30 06/07/2015
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Shah has been successful since taking over from Ajmal.

    Leg-spinners are unique. Their craft is arguably the toughest in cricket, requiring a lot of patience from teammates and management as it can all go horribly wrong very easily and they generally mature later in their careers.

    They are, in a way, an indulgence which very few teams come across and even fewer try out and persist with. But every now and then, one such player comes across who makes it all worthwhile.

    In contemporary cricket, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble and Mushtaq Ahmed raised hopes when they started their career.

    All three enjoyed a lot of success but following their retirement, the cricketing world had to wait a long time to fall in love with the art again.

    Some talented ones did crop up every now and then, but very few lasted long.

    The likes of India’s Amit Mishra and Caribbean Devendra Bishoo showed promise but couldn’t sustain their level. Steven Smith started off as a leg spinner who could bat but is now nothing more than a part-time option with the ball.

    However, a couple of names have stuck around. 

    Pakistan-born Imran Tahir looked so irresistible to the South Africans that they expedited the residency procedure so that he could play for the Proteas at the 2011 World Cup.

    His Test record of 43 wickets from 16 Tests may not look spectacular on paper, but whenever he has played for the Proteas he has looked threatening, making many wonder why he didn’t get senior-level opportunities in Pakistan.

    Then there is Pakistan’s Yasir Shah, who ticks many boxes.

    His first class debut came in 2001 and it took him 10 years to play his first international match for his country. He will turn 30 soon and is expected to be at the top of his bowling prowess.

    The signs are already there to see and he is currently enjoying a superb series against Sri Lanka. He has been by far the most successful bowler on either side with an incredible 24 wickets in three Tests. Those are Shane Warne levels of success in the island nation.

    What’s more, it has come at the perfect time for Pakistan. 

    The subcontinent giants had been dealt a severe blow following the International Cricket Council’s clampdown on suspect bowling actions.

    Ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal and reliable tweaker Mohammad Hafeez both had their actions reported last year and were forced to undergo remedial work. Both returned with ‘improved’ actions but unable to reach the same heights they had achieved previsouly.

    While Hafeez’s bowling action has been reported once again, Ajmal has been quietly sidelined. The 37-year-old returned to international cricket in April this year and played a T20I and two ODIs in Bangladesh.

    Instead of gaining confidence on spin-friendly wickets, Ajmal got the daylights thrashed out of him by the Bangladeshis as his variations had all but vanished.

    By now, one would have expected Pakistan management and ex-players to bemoan the fate of their star spinner and maybe even hint at a conspiracy to thwart one of the most successful spinners in recent times.

    One only needs to look at how Sri Lanka rallied behind Muttiah Muralitharan when he had his action called, to see the extent to which ‘hurt’ cricketing nations can go when fighting for their cause. But hardly any noise is being made about the fall of Ajmal and one of the reasons behind that is the success Shah is enjoying. 

    The leg-spinner is more than making up for the absence of Ajmal and Hafeez and that has made forgetting the pain of their fall easier.

    Considering the latter pair’s problematic bowling actions, Pakistan must feel relieved at having a spinner who is not only effective but also bowls with a ‘clean’ action.

    Shah now has his best leg-spinning years ahead of him and he can be assured of a spot in the side with Ajmal, for now, out of the picture.

    Looking at how Pakistan and world cricket has moved on from the potentially explosive Ajmal saga, one can only wonder how different things could have been if Sri Lanka too had a couple of very good spinners around when Muralitharan was trying to make his mark in international cricket and had his action questioned in 1995.

    Maybe we wouldn’t have seen those acrimonious stand-offs and the International Cricket Council wouldn’t have altered the regulations a few years down the line that allowed a five-degree bend in the bowling arm for spinners to be increased to 15 degrees.

    Both Murali and Ajmal possess a lot of talent but bowled with questionable actions.

    What is different about the two is that Murali was indispensable while Pakistan already have a world class replacement for Ajmal in the form of Shah.

    Leg-spinners are mesmerising like that, they make you forget many things.

    Recommended