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International Cricketer
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
The Test leg of England's tour of the UAE has come to a halt. Many have already written about the pummeling, that was handed to the world's no. 1 ranked team, by the hands of a Pakistan outfit, which less than 18 months earlier were on the brink of total collapse. Now a new dawn can be seen on the horizon and although most speak of the partnership between the coach Mohsin Khan and captain MiSbah ul-Haq, the real leader of this mini revolution is none other than the charismatic and ever so eccentric, Saeed Ajmal.
This off-spinner hasn't had it easy though, having had to work harder than most to secure a place in the national side. He debuted at an age that most Pakistan fans call "too old yaar, he should be thinking of retiring now" but Ajmal is not your ordinary cricketer. He smiles, winks, jokes and never tries to intimidate the batsmen like many of his modern counter parts. He isn't out there to start a war or make enemies, he plays to fulfill his childhood dream, he plays because he enjoys it and when they try to take him down, he simply shakes his head and smirks, "No problem".
For almost 6 months, Ajmal was not entrusted with taking up arms in the 5-day format of the game, seen more as an ODI specialist. Then came a period in which he was villainised after the T20 World Cup semi-final in the Caribbean. So now he was too old and too unreliable. But all good things come to those who persevere and by the time Pakistan had left England in the summer of the 2010, his reputation was greatly enhanced, not just by his exploits on the field but also because of his quirky interviews.
All Ajmal needed now was a defining series, for all athletes at the top of their game have something which becomes synonymous with their legacy. Shane Warne had the ball of the century, Imran Khan had the 1992 World Cup victory, Andrew Flintoff had The Ashes 2005 and now Ajmal has Dubai and Abu Dhabi 2012. He was voted the man of the series and for good reason: in three matches he has picked up 24 wickets, at an absolutely awe inspiring average of 14.70 and an economy so miserly it is not worth mentioning (psst it's 2.40 for all you stats nerds).
The numbers however, only tell part of the story, for Ajmal has been Pakistan's best bowler for over a year now, a time period coinciding with Pakistan's steady and largely controversy free, rise from has-beens to nearly world beaters. Let us not forget his 5 wickets at 18.70 in the World Cup or his haul of wickets against the West Indies and Sri Lanka (home and away). Ajmal has taken wickets against quality batting line ups, batsmen who were said to be adept at playing spin. Morgan, Bell, Cook, Trott all had extremely high averages against the slower bowlers. Ajmal took them all, not to mention the likes of Sangakkara and Samaraweera.
So here it is, Ajmal is a major factor in Pakistan's recent success. He has the ability to spin the bowl an inch or a mile, to add flight, to out think the batsmen, no matter how great they think they are (Pieterson) and he does it all with a flamboyance and child like glee with which we first play our back garden games. Every team needs that little bit extra, that spark to light the flames of success, Pakistan have theirs. It remains to be seen how long the fire can burn.
This off-spinner hasn't had it easy though, having had to work harder than most to secure a place in the national side. He debuted at an age that most Pakistan fans call "too old yaar, he should be thinking of retiring now" but Ajmal is not your ordinary cricketer. He smiles, winks, jokes and never tries to intimidate the batsmen like many of his modern counter parts. He isn't out there to start a war or make enemies, he plays to fulfill his childhood dream, he plays because he enjoys it and when they try to take him down, he simply shakes his head and smirks, "No problem".
For almost 6 months, Ajmal was not entrusted with taking up arms in the 5-day format of the game, seen more as an ODI specialist. Then came a period in which he was villainised after the T20 World Cup semi-final in the Caribbean. So now he was too old and too unreliable. But all good things come to those who persevere and by the time Pakistan had left England in the summer of the 2010, his reputation was greatly enhanced, not just by his exploits on the field but also because of his quirky interviews.
All Ajmal needed now was a defining series, for all athletes at the top of their game have something which becomes synonymous with their legacy. Shane Warne had the ball of the century, Imran Khan had the 1992 World Cup victory, Andrew Flintoff had The Ashes 2005 and now Ajmal has Dubai and Abu Dhabi 2012. He was voted the man of the series and for good reason: in three matches he has picked up 24 wickets, at an absolutely awe inspiring average of 14.70 and an economy so miserly it is not worth mentioning (psst it's 2.40 for all you stats nerds).
The numbers however, only tell part of the story, for Ajmal has been Pakistan's best bowler for over a year now, a time period coinciding with Pakistan's steady and largely controversy free, rise from has-beens to nearly world beaters. Let us not forget his 5 wickets at 18.70 in the World Cup or his haul of wickets against the West Indies and Sri Lanka (home and away). Ajmal has taken wickets against quality batting line ups, batsmen who were said to be adept at playing spin. Morgan, Bell, Cook, Trott all had extremely high averages against the slower bowlers. Ajmal took them all, not to mention the likes of Sangakkara and Samaraweera.
So here it is, Ajmal is a major factor in Pakistan's recent success. He has the ability to spin the bowl an inch or a mile, to add flight, to out think the batsmen, no matter how great they think they are (Pieterson) and he does it all with a flamboyance and child like glee with which we first play our back garden games. Every team needs that little bit extra, that spark to light the flames of success, Pakistan have theirs. It remains to be seen how long the fire can burn.
