Saeed Ajmal was one of the dangerous spinners in world cricket. He was never the same again after ICC banned him for illegal bowling in 2014. He retired in 2017.
New Delhi: Pakistani cricketers – past and present – always grab the headlines for their opinions on the sport in Pakistan and India. Similarly, former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal made a stunning comment recently stating if he had been an Indian, he would have taken 1000 wickets in his career.
One of the most-feared spinners in world cricket, Ajmal ruled in ODIs and T20Is. However, he never looked threatening following an ICC ban that became a turning point in his career. He was banned by the ICC in 2014 over his bowling action because all his deliveries were being bowled above the 15 degree level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.
“I would have taken 1,000 wickets by now. To be honest, if I played for India, I would have taken 1,000 wickets. I was a bowler who took 100 wickets every year. Almost every year in my international career, I took 100 wickets,” Ajmal said on the Nadir Ali podcast. “From 2012 to 2014, I took 326 wickets. (James) Anderson was second with 186 wickets. See the difference – 326 and 186 wickets. Every year, more than 100 wickets,” the former off-spinner added who retired in 2017.
“They should have stopped me in 2009 only. But they allowed me to play. After I got 448 wickets, they realized there needs to be a way to stop him, and so they did what they did. I was world number one bowler when I was banned from bowling,” said Ajmal, who now runs a clothing business across the country.
If statistics are to be believed, Ajmal finished his cricketing career with 1645 wickets – 178 (Tests), 184 (ODIs), 85 (T20Is), 578 (first-class), 349 (List A) and 271 (T20).
During the same conversation, Ajmal revealed Sachin Tendulkar was controversially given not out during the 2011 World Cup semifinal between India and Pakistan. The incident took place in the 11th over of the match, when Ajmal trapped Tendulkar in front and on-field umpire Ian Gould raised his finger.
But Tendulkar immediately took a DRS (Decision Review System). Replays revealed that the ball was pitched in line but was missing the leg stump. There was a significant uproar in Pakistan on the judgement, and the bowler Ajmal spoke out forcefully against it after the game.
“I don’t know how the television replays showed my delivery turning towards the leg side because I had bowled an arm ball and it went straight,” Ajmal had said after reaching Lahore following the loss in the semis. He once again stuck to his statements more than a decade later.
“We played the 2011 World Cup, you must remember the incident with Sachin Tendulkar. The LBW decision that was overturned. The controversy about it is still going on. It was out. Both, umpire and I knew it was out. They had cut two frames to make it look like ball missed the stumps. Otherwise, it would’ve hit the stumps in the middle,” Ajmal said.
Rohit Sharma’s men will take on Babar Azam’s Pakistan in the high-voltage encounter in Ahmedabad on October 15 in the group stage of the ODI World Cup and if all goes well, the arch-rivals could also face each other in the semifinal. Before the World Cup, India will be facing Pakistan in at least two ODIs in the Asia Cup 2023.
