Saeed Ajmal back from cricket wilderness

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Ajmal still hopes to represent Pakistan.

    The English summer of 2010 in England was one of great hope for Pakistan. Armed with a bowling attack that was the envy of the cricketing world and under the leadership of newly appointed captain Salman Butt, Pakistan looked ripe to make its mark on international cricket.

    The pace of Mohammad Amir, the swing of Mohammad Asif and the guile of Saeed Ajmal had the potential to inspire Pakistan to the top of the sport. While Pakistan had struggled against England after an encouraging series against Australia earlier in the summer, no one could have anticipated the upheaval that was to follow as the world came to terms with the spot-fixing scandal that plunged Pakistan cricket into new depths of ignominy.

    Already suffering from its inability to host games on home soil due to the tragic attack on the Sri Lankan team bus in March 2009, the News of the World sting brought Pakistan cricket to its knees. Three of its top cricketers’ involvement in nefarious activities was a body blow that the country could ill afford and the way in which Amir was cajoled into participating in bowling deliberate no-balls was particularly saddening. At the time, former England captain Nasser Hussain echoed the thoughts of the cricketing world, responding to the news by saying: “Please, don’t let it be the kid.”

    With Pakistan cricket in tatters, the PCB turned its attention toward a brave and talented group of cricketers to take on the biggest challenge of their career in reviving its fortunes and repair its reputation. Misbah-ul-Haq stepped up and took on the captaincy of the Test team and his job was made decidedly easier by the presence of Saeed Ajmal, who had to take on the mantle of the senior statesman in the team, both in terms of a presence in the dressing room and his performances on the field.

    In a country where throwing youngsters in at the deep end was considered the norm, Ajmal’s late introduction to international cricket was indeed an anomaly. The off-spinner made his ODI debut for Pakistan against India in July 2008 at the age of 30, and a year later played his first Test.

    Doubts were being cast over his action as far back as 2009, when he was reported for having a suspect bowling action. At the time, he was cleared by the ICC and, in the same year, went on to inspire Pakistan to glory at the ICC World T20 in England.

    – IPL: CSK & RR suspended for two years for corruption
    – Inside Story: How England won cricket’s greatest series
    – Qatar: Asian Town Cricket Stadium – Doha’s cricketing oasis
    – Exclusive: Shahid Afridi happy in role as T20’s gun for hire

    While he continued to shine away from the spotlight as the more glamorous fast-bowlers were predictably showered in praise by a country so unanimous in its love for its premier seamers, it was 2010 that Saeed Ajmal assumed the role of Pakistan’s most potent bowler. It was a role he relished and, accompanied with a healthy dose of humour, ultimately endeared him to fans and teammates alike.

    Buoyed by his role as Pakistan’s star man, Ajmal’s rise across all formats of the game continued unabated. Batsmen from all over the world were confounded by his frequent use of the doosra, unerring accuracy and enthusiasm to bowl long, draining spells.

    In January 2012, in his nineteenth Test, Ajmal became the fastest Pakistani to one hundred test wickets and it was no surprise that from November 2011 to December 2014, Ajmal was ranked by the ICC as the No. 1 bowler in ODIs. While his reign at the top was brought to an end late in the year, it was the ban on his bowling due to an illegal action – enforced in September 2014 – that ultimately changed the course of his career.

    Pakistan’s saviour was suddenly a non-entity and was acrimoniously sidelined during a period of weeks which would have broken the spirits of many a professional athlete and even more not blessed with the fierce drive and determination of a world-class sportsman. Saeed Ajmal, however, went to work immediately to remedy his action with the legendary “father of the Doosra”, Saqlain Mushtaq, his mentor.

    An arduous journey to redemption followed for Ajmal who, not satisfied with the progress made on rectifying his action, had to make a painful decision in December 2014, as he withdrew from Pakistan’s World Cup squad after failing to meet ICC criteria.

    For a player who hardly missed a game for Pakistan in the six years that followed his debut, it was a heart-breaking moment. He described that feeling in a recent interview, saying: “My dream was to play in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand and my dreams were shattered by that ban. However, there was nothing I could do about it. Yes, it was disappointing, yes it hurt, but I have to move on and look to the future and not look back.

    “Maybe there was something positive and some reason that was beneficial to me for me missing the World Cup. All I can do now is focus on the future and look to get back into the Pakistan team in all formats.”

    Ajmal’s remodelled action was cleared by the ICC in February 2015 and he duly made his comeback against Bangladesh two months later. It proved disastrous as the offie ended up with the worst figures of his career, conceding 74 runs from 10 wicket-less overs.

    The Pakistan selectors excluded him from the tour of Sri Lanka, Ajmal admitting was the right decision to make as he came to terms with his new action.

    Speaking at the time, Ajmal said: “Naturally, any changes you make to your bowling action do affect you mentally and the process can take some time to sort itself out and to settle in. I have to be patient and not panic.”

    Not one to be broken by such setbacks, Ajmal has busied himself with county cricket this summer, returning to the country which represented so much promise back in 2010. In England his performances with the new-look action for Worcestershire have raised hopes that he may soon return to the form that made him one of the most feared bowlers in the world.

    While his Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell may claim Ajmal is “not a spent force in cricket”, he may well find a return to the Pakistan team trickier than first thought. The meteoric rise of leg-spinner Yasir Shah has ensured that Pakistan have moved on where so many thought they’d struggle.

    Unperturbed, Ajmal said recently: “My fitness levels are fine and my focus is on returning to the Pakistan team and retirement is not an option at the moment.”

    It is certain that Ajmal, even at the age of 37, is not willing to give up without a fight, it is just not in his nature.

    Recommended