Pakistani Cricket Players: Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal Biography

Source(google.com.pk)
Full name Saeed Ajmal

Born October 14, 1977, Faisalabad, Punjab

Current age 36 years 347 days

Major teams Pakistan, Antigua Hawksbills, Dhaka Gladiators, Faisalabad, Faisalabad Wolves, Islamabad Cricket Association, Khan Research Labs, Water and Power Development Authority, Worcestershire, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited

Playing role Bowler

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Saeed Ajmal
Batting and fielding averages
Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 35 53 12 451 50 11.00 1082 41.68 0 1 44 4 11 0
ODIs 111 69 24 324 33 7.20 531 61.01 0 0 25 0 25 0
T20Is 63 23 12 91 21* 8.27 86 105.81 0 0 7 2 12 0
First-class 134 182 50 1611 53* 12.20 0 4 44 0
List A 217 121 49 521 33 7.23 0 0 51 0
Twenty20 145 44 21 181 21* 7.86 170 106.47 0 0 13 4 24 0
Bowling averages
Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 35 67 11592 5003 178 7/55 11/111 28.10 2.58 65.1 9 10 4
ODIs 111 110 5885 4059 183 5/24 5/24 22.18 4.13 32.1 6 2 0
T20Is 63 62 1410 1491 85 4/19 4/19 17.54 6.34 16.5 4 0 0
First-class 134 31740 14147 546 7/19 25.91 2.67 58.1 37 7
List A 217 11390 8239 337 5/18 5/18 24.44 4.34 33.7 11 3 0
Twenty20 145 144 3236 3371 207 4/14 4/14 16.28 6.25 15.6 7 0 0
Career statistics
Test debut Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Galle, Jul 4-7, 2009 scorecard
Last Test Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), Aug 14-18, 2014 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut Pakistan v India at Karachi, Jul 2, 2008 scorecard
Last ODI Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Dambulla, Aug 30, 2014 scorecard
ODI statistics
T20I debut Australia v Pakistan at Dubai (DSC), May 7, 2009 scorecard
Last T20I Pakistan v West Indies at Dhaka, Apr 1, 2014 scorecard
T20I statistics
First-class debut 1996/97
Last First-class Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Colombo (SSC), Aug 14-18, 2014 scorecard
List A debut 1995/96
Last List A Sri Lanka v Pakistan at Dambulla, Aug 30, 2014 scorecard
Twenty20 debut Faisalabad Wolves v Quetta Bears at Lahore, Apr 26, 2005 scorecard
Last Twenty20 Warwickshire v Worcestershire at Birmingham, Jul 11, 2014 scorecard
Recent matches
Bat & Bowl Team Opposition Ground Match Date Scorecard
6, 1/10 Pakistan v Sri Lanka Dambulla 30 Aug 2014 ODI # 3519
1/77, 4, 3/89, 3* Pakistan v Sri Lanka Colombo (SSC) 14 Aug 2014 Test # 2136
12, 5/166, 4, 0/29 Pakistan v Sri Lanka Galle 6 Aug 2014 Test # 2133
20, 4/66, 53*, 3/81 Worcs v Leics Worcester 13 Jul 2014 FC
3/17 Worcs v Warwickshire Birmingham 11 Jul 2014 T20
1/34 Worcs v Lancashire Worcester 6 Jul 2014 T20
4/45 M.C.C. v ROW XI Lord's 5 Jul 2014 Other OD
14, 5/106, 7/34 Worcs v Glamorgan Worcester 29 Jun 2014 FC
0/10 Worcs v Warwickshire Worcester 20 Jun 2014 T20
27, 1/46, 6/19 Worcs v Leics Leicester 15 Jun 2014 FC
Profile

A modern-day offspinner who relies on the doosra as much as on other variations of flight and speed, Saeed Ajmal made a relatively late entry into international cricket, at the age of 30, but is doing his best to make up for lost time, quickly moving up to be regarded among the best spinners in the game today. Ajmal didn't play his first Test till almost 32, but showed immediately that he belonged, taking five wickets in his debut Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2009.

His golden run, though, started in 2011, when he showed superb control over all his variations - the offspinner, the doosra and the subtle changes in speed and flight. Unlike many offspinners who change their line when bowling the doosra, Ajmal tends to bowl the offspinner and the doosra from around the same line - on or just outside off - which makes it much tougher for batsmen to pick his variations. In 2011 he was the leading wicket-taker in Tests, with 50 in eight matches. But the best series of his young career came early in 2012, when he destroyed the batting line-up of the best team in the world, England, taking 24 wickets in just three games at 14.70. In the process, he clearly won the battle of offspinners against the highly rated Graeme Swann.

However, Ajmal first made his mark in international cricket in ODIs. He was called up for the 2008 Asia Cup, and soon after he had the Australians completely bewildered in the ODI series in the UAE; he gave away few runs and his doosra was almost unreadable. The ICC called him for his action, though it was cleared soon after. The pressure didn't get to him and immediately after, he played a crucial role in Pakistan's drive to the 2009 World Twenty20 title, regularly bottling up the middle overs with Shahid Afridi. He ended the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with an exemplary economy rate as batsmen around the world struggled to get a read on his bag of tricks.
In a huge blow to Pakistan, offspinner Saeed Ajmal has been banned from bowling in international cricket by the ICC after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries. Ajmal, who has been Pakistan's lead spinner in all formats in recent years, was reported after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month.

The decision to ban him was taken after an ICC accredited team of bio-mechanics experts tested his action at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. Ajmal can apply to the ICC for a re-assessment at any time after modifying his action.

"An independent analysis has found the bowling action of Pakistan's offspinner Saeed Ajmal to be illegal and, as such, the player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect," the ICC said. "The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations."

Ajmal, however, was hopeful that a medical condition - the natural bend in his arm because of an accident - would work in his favour when the appeal is made to the ICC's bowling review group.

"I am positive about this and not worried because I believe I can make the World Cup," Ajmal told reporters in Faisalabad. "They are yet to consider my medical reports and once they do it I am sure there shouldn't be any problem. If one has a medical problem then what can he do? So I am 100% positive and hoping for the best."

Ajmal is the No. 1 ranked bowler in the ICC ODI rankings and is among the top ten in Tests and Twenty20 internationals. He his the highest wicket-taker across formats in the last three years.

This was the second instance of Ajmal being reported for a suspect action. In April 2009, the bowler had been reported while bowling the doosra, and was cleared the following month.

The issue of suspect bowling actions had come up during the ICC cricket committee meeting in June, where there was a general consensus among members that the current methods used to detect illegal actions were imperfect. It had recommended changes to help match officials get more support from biomechanists in order to identify illegal actions with "more confidence".

In the last few months, Sri Lanka offspinner Sachithra Senanayake and New Zealand's Kane Williamson were reported and subsequently banned from bowling due to illegal bowling actions.