15 Facts about Saeed Ajmal - The spin magician

15 Facts about Saeed Ajmal – The spin magician: The Pakistani off spinner who made a relatively late entry into international cricket, at the age of 30, has had a successful yet controversial career thus far. From being one of the most feared spinners in world cricket, he does not find himself a part of the Pakistan team today being banned for bowling with a suspected bowling action. Ajmal is currently working his way back with a remodelled bowling action.

1. Birth:

The off-spinner was born on October 14, 1977 in Faisalabad, Punjab, Paksitan’s third-largest city.

2. Bowling style:

A right-arm off spinner, Ajmal’s stock delivery turns into the right-handed batsman. He uses the doosra to great effect which turns the other way generally bowling flatter than most off spinners.

3. Domestic career:

Ajmal has played for Faisalabad since his debut in 1995 at the age of 18.

4. Best bowler in the National One-day Championship:

Ajmal was named the tournament’s best bowler when Faisalabad won the final of the ABN-AMRO Patron’s Cup in March 2006.

5. International debut:

Ajmal won his first international cap in an ODI against arch rivals India on 2 July, 2008 in the Asia Cup hosted by Pakistan.

 6. First setback:

In April 2009, Ajmal was reported by umpires for having a suspect bowling action. An independent test the following month demonstrated that his arm flexed within the 15 degree tolerance allowed by the ICC.

7. World T20, 2009:

Ajmal was the tournament’s joint second highest wicket-taker with twelve dismissals from 7 games; Pakistan won this tournament which took place in England.

8. Test debut:

He made his Test debut against hosts Sri Lanka at Galle in July 2009 and picked up 5 wickets in the match, albeit in a losing cause. Two other players Abdur Rauf and Mohammad Amir also won their first Test cap in the same match for Pakistan.

9. Outstanding Test performances:

In 2011 he was the leading wicket-taker in Tests, with 50 in 8 matches. His best series came in 2012, when he demolished the batting line-up of the best team in the world, England, taking 24 wickets in just three games. He outperformed the highly rated Graeme Swann. Ajmal achieved his highest ICC Test ranking in 2012 when he was ranked 2nd in the world.

10. A rise the top in ODIs:

In a successful ODI series against Sri Lanka, which Pakistan won 4-1 in the UAE, Ajmal grabbed 11 wickets in 5 games at 16.27 and at an economy rate of less than 4 an over. It gained him 5 places on the rankings, helping him get ahead of Daniel Vettori and Graeme Swann to reach No.1 in the ICC ODI rankings.

11. The ban:

On 9th September 2014 the ICC banned Ajmal for bowling with an illegal bowling action. The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations. He was suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.

12. A failed comeback attempt:

After 45 days of training under his mentors Saqlain Mushtaq and Muhammad Akra, Ajmal was sent to England’s Loughborough University by the PCB on its budgets for unofficial testing of his modified action before applying for official test with the ICC. Biomechanist Mark King reported that his bowling action has approached to 15 degree but still not cleared.

13. The much awaited nod:

In February 2015 he was cleared to resume international cricket by the ICC after his bowling action was found to be legal during a retest at an ICC-accredited facility in Chennai.

14. The comeback that went haywire:

His career-worst ODI figures of 0/72 in 10 overs came against Bangladesh on April 17, 2015 in the 1st  match of the series. Bangladesh won the 3-match series by 3-0. Ajmal was dropped after the 2^nd match after a spell of 1/49 in 9.1 overs. Bangladesh also won the only T20I on this tour; Ajmal’s spell being 0/25 in 3.2 overs. This is the last international match Ajmal has played since April 24, 2015.

15. Bowling stats:

Having played 35 Tests he has picked up 178 wickets at a strike rate of 65.12. His best performance of 55/7 in an innings is against England at UAE. He has played 113 ODIs and picked up 184 wickets at an economy rate of 4.18 runs per over. His best performance being 24/5 against India in Delhi. His T20I record of 85 wickets from 64 matches at a strike rate of 16.8 is brilliant. This was against the Irish in the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 at the Oval in London.