A positive spin: Ajmal hopes to turn back time after ‘rebirth’

37-year-old eager to make up for lost time, hopes to be the best bowler against Bangladesh.

KARACHI: With tighter rules regarding bowling-arm flex keeping Saeed Ajmal out of international cricket for more than seven months, the cleared-again off-spinner is keen to reassert his authority on international cricket instantly by being the best bowler against Bangladesh with his remodelled action.

Ajmal sat out the World Cup after being banned in ICC’s crackdown against chucking, where the bowler’s flexion was found well over the permissible limit of 15 degrees.

Almost everyone thought that Ajmal’s career was over after being banned and that the remodelling was a waste of time and money. One man, however, thought otherwise — despite the whole world being against him — and that man was Ajmal himself.

“I’m very excited to play for Pakistan again and it seems like my rebirth in international cricket. Now that I’ve returned, I want to be the best bowler in all formats against Bangladesh because I never settled for less,” an ecstatic Ajmal told The Express Tribune. “No doubt it was a tough phase in my career but not even for a second did I think that I won’t be able to make it back. I kept on believing in myself and bowled thousands of balls with my remodelled action. I kept on saying to myself that if I can learn the doosra by myself, then I can overcome this difficult phase as well.”

The 37-year-old Ajmal thanked everyone who supported him during the crunch period, especially the PCB and the coaches who worked with him — Saqlain Mushtaq, Muhammad Akram and the others.

Ajmal admitted that he was disappointed at missing out on the World Cup and was hoping to do something special for Pakistan before being banned. “I wanted to do something special for Pakistan in the World Cup and I felt very sad on missing the mega event,” said Ajmal. “By the time the next World Cup comes around, I will be 41 and who knows whether I will be playing or not. My target now is to help Pakistan win a major ICC tournament before I retire, may it be the World Twenty20 or the Champions Trophy.”

Ajmal also backed the PCB’s decision to name Azhar Ali as the ODI captain and revealed that he was one of the first people who asked the PCB chairman to appoint Azhar as the captain due to him being humble, patient and someone who plays for the team.

“Being a senior player, I would give Azhar all the support he needs to succeed in his new role because he deserves it,” added Ajmal. “He is someone who is humble, patient in his approach and a perfect team player.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2015.

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