It is not only the English batsmen who have problems with Saeed Ajmal’s doosras. One of his own teammates Adnan Akmal also had difficulty in reading the wily off-spinner’s wrong ’uns.
The 26-year-old wicketkeeper, youngest of the three Akmal brothers to have turned out for Pakistan, eventually had to undergo special sessions before overcoming the problem. “Unlike other spinners Saeed is a difficult spinner to keep wickets to,” revealed Akmal after a training session at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday.
“I had problems in picking up the doosra but the drills with Ijaz Ahmed (fielding coach) helped me in overcoming it. Those workouts were of immense help not only during practice but in matches as well.”
But the youngster slipped in a line which the Englishmen would do well to listen. “I try to read him by watching his hand. And having practised a lot with Saeed, I have begun to pick it well now.”
Akmal, who cracked a career-best score of 61 and plucked seven catches during the Dubai Test, pooh-poohed suggestions whether he needs any signals from Ajmal for the doosra. “I don’t need any indications. If I need them then it is no use being a wicketkeeper,” he asserted.
The doosra sorted what about the teesra? Did Ajmal bowl it during the Test? “I did not see it,” he shoots back. “His bowling was along expected lines, there was no difference,” Akmal reasoned. “They were the normal deliveries which I have been keeping up to in the last ten matches. It may have been different for the English batsmen but not for me.”
Akmal felt it was Ajmal’s bowling and not bad batsmanship which triggered England’s downfall in the first Test last week. “Our bowling was excellent. I don’t know why England batsmen, who are better than us, failed to come good. Saeed was outstanding. It is a very good sign that he is bowling so well.”
Adnan, who made his Test debut in 2010 replacing elder brother Kamran and has played 11 Tests so far, terms himself as a wicketkeeper who can bat. And both turned up at Dubai when he struck fruitful partnerships to swell Pakistan’s first innings score to 348.
Dwelling on his gutsy knock, Adnan said the instructions from the dressing room were clear: settle down first before playing your natural game. “I played my normal game judging the situation. It helped that the runs came at the right time to benefit Pakistan.”
All brothers, including Umar, who is part of the current Test squad, are exciting batsmen too and. all play the cut, pull and drives with equal finesse. “It comes naturally to us,” he says before adding, “but we practice it a lot.”
Adnan who had been an understudy to Kamran once, says the sessions with his elder brother during his formative years has largely shaped his career. “I always aspired to be in Kammy bhai’s position. I have learnt a lot from him and he has always guided me.”
Meanwhile, the Pakistan squad suffered a minor setback when promising pacer Mohammad Talha was ruled out of the series due to a back injury. No replacement has been sought for the 23-year-old bowler, who had impressed while turning out for the Pakistan Cricket Board XI in a warm-up game against England by picking up four wickets.
