Imran Khan stunned by Ajmal's omission from ICC awards
The spinner was not included in a shortlist of four players for the best test player of the year category in the International Cricket Council (ICC) annual awards to be held in Colombo on September 15.
A 32-man independent jury comprising former players, officials and journalists provoked anger in Pakistan after omitting Ajmal from the shortlist, Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara, Australian Michael Clarke and South Africans Vernon Philander and Hashim Amla.
Ajmal, 34, took 72 wickets in 12 Tests from August 2011 to July this year, including 24 wickets in a 3-0 rout of then world ranked number one England in January-February.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) earlier this week lodged a protest with the ICC demanding a review of the shortlist but the game's governing body rejected it.
The PCB said it was considering boycotting the ceremony.
Khan said Ajmal's omission was unjust.
"It is a great injustice to a player who is a match winner in all formats of the game and his omission was surprising," Khan told reporters during the second Twenty20 match between Pakistan and Australia here on Friday.
Another former captain Ramiz Raja said Ajmal was hard done by the jury.
"I feel that Ajmal was hard done by the jury and it is a serious case for review because if performers are not picked then the credibility (of awards) is missing," Raja told AFP.
Raja said an award is an honour for the player.
"It's a great honour for the player to win an award and it hurts not only Pakistan but the whole community," said Raja, now a renowned commentator.
Former captain and coach Waqar Younis said he didn't understand the system.
"I don't know how this system is working," said Waqar of the process. "Maybe the system needs to be reviewed because 32 people are too much.
"On the basis of performance you can't overlook Ajmal and it comes as a great surprise to me."
COMMENTS (37)
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@Pankaj: He was responding to a cricket related question and in case you are not aware of and keeping it to CRICKET, he was stunned by 4-0 trashings of India in England and Australa.
Im stunned too
why has imran khan not gone to FATA to protest drones strike as he promised ?
@Pankaj Come on now, are u even serious abt what u r writing? Imran khan has spoken and done more, for sectarian violence and other stuff u r talking about, than any other leader. Do some google and youtube search and you'll see. Its so annoying to hear people "parotting" the same non-sense.
@Sudheer: You say: "One of the reasons for not including Saeed Ajmal in the list could be his suspected bowling action."
It is not one of the reasons. That is the only reason. Saeed Ajmal chucks. Period.
"Watching some of the bowlers' actions today, I think I might have created a monster," This was by Arjuna Ranatunga.
After seeing the action of Ajmal, the great legend Viv Richards said, ‘Let me put it as diplomatically as it can be put. The rules have helped the freaky stuff we have seen.’
If I quarrel with the likes of Ranatunga and Richards, it will only expose my knowledge level !
Pakistan has been 'check-mated' by the International Cricket Council.
Who is to blame? India, Pakistan or the other cricketing nations. I do know one thing that we are not on the ICC's earnings radar screen as India is. Another thing to remember is the behavior of our players. Three of our cricketers have recently been released from UK. The war on terrorism is another deterring factor.
Why has the Asian Cricket Conference become a 'lame duck?' If Imran can notice Ajmal's omission, why can’t he notice the omission of Karachi's cricketers from the national side?
Salams
@pankaj grow up man, he was at cricket stadium watching cricket, do you expect him to comment on politics at that point, and also he responded to the question asked by media!
I think Ajmal is one of the best spinn bowler right now. But lets be fair why di aamir sohail not fight for him? I think one of the reason is most of the ajmal's performance was on dust bowl of UAE.
Theer are so many things wrong in Pak right now and Kaptaan is worried sick about Ajmal not getting the award. See this is my biggest gripe about IK. If he gets elected he will leave the administrationt to his PTI miniions and fly back to UK (where his family is) and be part of the party circuit and celebrity life. Please tell me - is this the kind of person you want as a future PM of this country?
why this doens't stunned by the sectarian violence, target killing and on misusing of blashphemy law ?
guys aaminr sohail is one guy there were 31 others with him to nominate ajmal for the awards who is to say aamir sohail did not vote for ajmal
@ Ch. Allah Dad and @Goran
@Ch. Allah Daad: And Nawaz Sharif is still fast asleep in his palace in Raiwind! VOTE PTI !!
@Goran: Yes IK is awake while ALL the rest are still sleeping!!
Indian Cricket Council done a great job
@Sudheer, sure tht shows how much u knw abt cricket my friend. Also sohail and Majid Bhatti against 30 (there were 32 in the panel) remaining biased obviously does not work when its not about brains and common sense but some scoring model which is badly flawed.
Thank you IK for raising a voice for ajmal. @Ch. Allah Daad: Just an update for you. Amir Suhail was member of the jury and now hiding in Raiwind. Your job for PTI bashing is done for today. You don't even spare a sports article to do your CATHARSIS.
and now the Khan wakes up when the matter is done and dusted....the ICC has categorically rejected PCB's request to review the matter
@Ch. Allah Daad:
You are a laughing stock. On every ET article, you bash Imran Khan but mate your tactics are backfiring. In percentage terms, 80% of the comments on every ET article about Imran Khan are in his favour. I suggest you report back to Raiwand and tell them that your tactics are not working and as Einstein said doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity. That's exactly what you've been doing bashing Imran Khan at every forum in the hope that people will eventually turn against him when in fact the comments in his support increases by the day. Poor you...I feel sorry for you mate.
One of the reasons for not including Saeed Ajmal in the list could be his suspected bowling action. Many empires and cricketing greats including Clive Lloyd have raised questions about his bowling action, particularly when he bowls his 'doosra'. ICC cannot and shouldn't award a chucker.
@Someone: why they choose phillander? if they choose phillander.... so why they did'nt choose magician ajmal..... we want our magician in icc awards .... :D
Amir Sohail was on the jury....and he is also a member of PML-Noora :)
On Ajmal's omission, everyone in Pakistan was stunned, shocked and surpised. After one week of pain and suffering, all of us are back to normal. Now its Imran Khan's turn to go through the process. Somebody in PTI should update him regularly?
Seems like ICC has been highly influenced by PCB
Aamer Sohail is part of the jury that omitted Ajmal - but that's no surprise.
Aamer Sohail was on the jury that omitted Saeed Ajmal and should be able to share his reasoning for not selecting him.
ajmal is the most deadly spin bowler alive, yesterdays t20 game is testament to that, when it looked like we were going nowhere, until he kicked thinks off, and got Warner out. Along with a fantastic economy rate. Forget about the ICC, Lets focus on winning the t20 world cup in a few weeks time, and getting a PTI govt in power. The kind of change IK is going to bring should allow the phenomenal talent in Pakistan to develop.
Biased!!
In 2010, the same was done to Graeme Swann and England protested so HE WAS INCLUDED... http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/9015916.stm and obviously such "oversight" does not extend to these dark Pakistanis. SHAME!!!
I(ndian) Cricket Council - you expect them to pick a Pakistani player? Boycott ICC awards.
Another example of cornering Pakistan by the ICC.Such a biased institution,its damaging its own integrity by depriving the cricket loving people of Pakistan by not doing enough to push other countries to visit Pakistan,unfortunately Pakistan has been an easy target for ICC.had it been India or another ICC favoured country the response would have been completely opposit.
If it can happen to Ajmal it can happen to Imran in the next elections - lesson to be learnt and back-up plans should be well thought out.
I have no idea why the ICC nominated Michael Clarke. He's one of those blokes who's on-and-off when it comes to form. Mediocre, to be exact.