Sports

Saeed Ajmal denies retirement rumours

Off-spinner tweeted on Tuesday saying he was 'positive' and 'confident' of improving his performance

Sports Desk September 15, 2015

Ajmal bagged only two wicket in four matches during the national T20 event. PHOTO: REUTERS

Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal denied the reports circulating in the media that he is thinking about retiring from cricket.

In a tweet on Tuesday, he said that he was 'positive' and 'confident' of gradually improving performance.

All news speculating about my retirement r wrong.I'm very positive,confident of gradually improving performance.I don't give up.#saeedisback
— Saeed Ajmal (@REALsaeedajmal) September 15, 2015

Earlier, the Press Trust of India reported that Ajmal was thinking long and hard about giving up on his bid to make a comeback to the international arena after a disappointing show in the National T20 championship.

"Saeed is disappointed with his own form and his failure to come to grips with his modified bowling action. That is why he also skipped Faisalabad's last match in the tournament in Rawalpindi," one source was quoted by PTI, adding that the off-break bowler is thinking big time about retirement.

Saeed was able to bag only two wickets in four matches with his remodelled action leaking away 124 runs in the process during the national T20 event.

The 37-year-old also opted out of the last match for his Faisalabad team

Read: I'm not a spent force, says Saeed Ajmal

Earlier, chief selector Haroon Rasheed said that Ajmal has a lot of opportunities to regain his confidence in this year’s domestic circuit.

Read: Saeed Ajmal awaits selectors' signal to call it quits

"It is never easy to change your bowling action after you have bowled with it and enjoyed success for so many years. We feel for Ajmal and the problems he must be going through. But at least he is trying and like I have said the doors are still open for him if he can show us his new action has also become effective," Rasheed said.

Ajmal, meanwhile, in his earlier statements also had said that he was not ready to leave without a fight. He said he was still a useful limited overs bowler and was aiming at impressing the selectors with his performance.

"I’m ready to take on the challenge of regaining my place in the Pakistan team," said Ajmal, earlier in an interview to PakPassion.

COMMENTS (7)

Rizwan jamil | 8 years ago | Reply try again and again never give up saeed bhi

Pea Brain | 8 years ago | Reply It's amazing how a sport has been turned in to a business enterprise by average individual with mediocre business acumen. Insecure and sickening. It matters not what the self-absorbed, money-ridden, fickle showmen from India thinks for Ajmal remains one of the cricketing greats in the contemporary history. One should read Holding and Boycott for a fair assessment and not an expose by the once-great-cricketer-now-a-bitter-paperpusher like Kumble, who's own bowling action deserves some archaeological analysis of its own.