Saeed Ajmal - the magician off spinner

Saeed Ajmal (Punjabi, Urdu: سعید اجمل‎; born 14 October 1977) is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer, who played all forms of the game. He is a right-arm off-spin bowler who bats right handed. Regarded as one of the best spinners in the world of his era, Ajmal was rated the best ODI and T20I bowler in the world and second in Tests at various times between 2011 and 2014.^[1] 

At domestic level in Pakistan he represented Faisalabad, with whom he won the 2005 ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup; Khan Research Laboratories; and Islamabad. Ajmal made his One Day International debut for Pakistan in July 2008 at the age of 30, and a year later played his first Test. In 2009 he was reported for having a suspect bowling action, but after being cleared he helped Pakistan win the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. Ajmal played for Worcestershire as an overseas player in English domestic cricket in 2011. From November 2011 to December 2014, Ajmal was ranked by the International Cricket Council as the number one bowler in ODIs. He reached the same ranking in T20Is between October and December 2012, while his highest Test ranking was second between January and July of the same year.[2] He is one of four Test bowlers that made their debut after the age of thirty to take more than 100 test wickets, along with Clarrie Grimmett, Dilip Doshi and Ryan Harris.[3]

On 28 January 2012, in his 20th Test, Ajmal became the quickest Pakistani to take 100 Test wickets.[4] He holds the record of leading wicket taker (85) in Twenty20 International cricket before Shahid Afridi broke this record (101).[5] He was signed by Adelaide Strikers for the 2012 Big Bash League in Australia.[6]

In 2014 he was banned by the ICC because of an illegal bowling action. Saqlain Mushtaq worked with Ajmal to correct his bowling action. On 27 December 2014, Saeed Ajmal withdrew his name from the Pakistani World Cup squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 after he was unable to rectify his bowling action.[7]

In the honour of his services for the country he received Sitara-e-Imtiaz by President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain on 23 March 2015, it is the third highest civilian award of Pakistan.[8]

On 13 November 2017, Ajmal announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.[9] On 29 November 2017, he played his final match, playing for Faisalabad against Lahore Whites, in the semi-finals of the 2017–18 National T20 Cup.[10] Currently, Ajmal is a spin bowling coach of PSL team Islamabad United.[11][12]

Contents

1 Domestic career

2 International career

3 County cricket

4 Bowling style

4.1 ICC ban

5 Sitara-e-Imtiaz

6 Hong Kong T20 Blitz 2017

7 References

8 External links

Domestic career

Saeed Ajmal has played for Faisalabad since his debut in 1995 at the age of 18. Ajmal represented the Faisalabad Wolves in the 2005 ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup, his team won the final in which he was man of the match.[13][14] When Faisalabad won the final of the ABN-AMRO Patron's Cup in March 2006 Ajmal was named the tournament's best bowler and was given a Rs 25,000 prize.[15] He has also represented Khan Research Laboratories, who were runners-up in the final of the 2008/09 Quaid-i-Azam Trophy; though his side lost the final, Ajmal took 5/105 and 2/55 and in the process passed 250 first-class wickets.[16][17] Ajmal has also played for Islamabad.

International career

Saeed Ajmal in the field during a 50-over warm-up match against Somerset at the County Ground, Taunton, during Pakistan's 2010 tour of England.

Pakistan hosted the Asia Cup in June 2008; Ajmal was included in the 15-man squad and was expected to act as a foil to Shahid Afridi's leg spin.[18] He made his debut against India on 2 July 2008. Ajmal took a single wicket, that of Yusuf Pathan, from his ten overs while conceding 47 runs (1/47) as Pakistan won by eight wickets,[19] before taking 2/19 in a ten-wicket victory over Bangladesh, although the team had no chance of progressing to the competition's final.[20] In November that year Pakistan travelled to the United Arab Emirates to face the West Indies in a three-match ODI series. Ajmal and Afridi were the team's only spin options;[21] the former took a single wicket while conceding 73 runs and Pakistan won all three matches.[22]

Ajmal's next match the third ODI against Sri Lanka in January 2009.[23] In April Pakistan faced Australia in the UAE in five ODIs. Playing in all five matches Ajmal took four wickets at an average of 39.50.[24] He was then picked for the Sri Lankan series in Sri Lanka where he had made solid performances in the Test matches, being picked ahead of Danish Kaneria in two of the matches.

In April 2009, Ajmal was reported by umpires for having a suspect bowling action. An independent test the following month demonstrated that Ajmal's arm flexed within the 15-degree tolerance allowed by the International Cricket Council.[25] Later that year, the Pakistan Cricket Board named a pool of 30 players from which they would choose their final squad for the 2009 ICC World Twenty20, held in June. Initially left out, Ajmal was one of three players added to the list, replacing players who were dropped because they were contracted with the controversial Indian Cricket League.[26] In the tournament, Ajmal partnered Afridi.[27] Pakistan won the tournament,[28] and Ajmal was the tournament's joint second highest wicket-taker with twelve dismissals from seven games (only Pakistan's Umar Gul took more wickets, with thirteen dismissals).[29]

Ajmal's good form continued in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 as he was Pakistan's leading wicket taker. However despite his good form he was known for conceding three sixes to Michael Hussey in what has been hailed as the most thrilling Twenty20 match of all time as Australia were in trouble and Ajmal was the unfortunate bowler who bowled that final over.[30]

Shortly after this the Pakistan team began a tour of England where they would face Australia in two Tests in July, and subsequently play England in four Tests and five ODIs. Danish Kaneria was preferred to Ajmal in the first match against Australia, but after Pakistan lost the selectors considered dropping the leg-spinner and choosing Ajmal.[31] In the event, Ajmal was not selected until the second Test against England,[32] when Kaneria was dropped because he had been ineffective. Though Pakistan lost the match by nine wickets, Ajmal took his first five-wicket haul in Tests. In Pakistan's second innings, with his team looking to set a target for England to chase, Ajmal scored 50 from 79 balls, his first half-century in Tests, before he was dismissed by fellow off spinner Graeme Swann.[33][34]

During the series against England, Pakistan became engulfed in a spot fixing scandal after the fourth test. In a later secret interview it was unveiled by alleged fixer Mazhar Majeed that Ajmal, Abdul Razzaq, Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi were too difficult to bribe. He stated that Ajmal was too religious to get involved into fixing.[35]

After the controversy and upheaval of 2010, 2011 saw Pakistan become a more consistent team. The year began with the World Cup held between February and April. Pakistan progressed to the semi-final, where they were defeated by India;[36] playing in three of the team's matches, Ajmal took five wickets at an average of 18.60.[37][38] After the World Cup, Pakistan played ten Tests, winning six and losing a single match;[39] this saw the team win series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe and draw with the West Indies.[36] Ajmal finished the year with 50 wickets from 8 Tests, more than any other bowler (second on the list was India's Ishant Sharma with 43).[40] Pakistan were also largely successful in ODIs, winning 24 out of 32.[36] After Pakistan beat Sri Lanka 4–1 in November 2011, Ajmal climbed to the number one spot in the ICC's ODI rankings.[41] He finished the year by taking nine wickets over two Tests in Pakistan's tour of Bangladesh.[42]

Pakistan started 2012 with a three Test series against England in the United Arab Emirates. Ajmal was named the man of the match for the first Test in Dubai, with match figures of 10 wickets for 97 runs and a career best 7/55 in England's first innings.[43][44] In the second fixture he dismissed Matt Prior to become the fastest Pakistani bowler to reach 100 wickets in Tests, taking 19 matches to accomplish the feat.[45] The series concluded with Pakistan completing a 3–0 whitewash over England, and Ajmal was named man of the series after claiming 24 wickets at an average of 14.70.[46][47]

In the immediate aftermath of the Test series, following confusion over comments from Ajmal about his bowling action in an interview to the BBC,[48] ESPNCricinfo published detailed information on the issue after a thorough investigation by journalist George Dobell with extensive discussion with ICC having been conducted. The resulting articles underlined the fact that Ajmal's bowling action falls well within the legal bounds set by the ICC for bowlers.[49][50]

Ajmal was signed by Adelaide Strikers for the 2012 Big Bash League in Australia.[6]

Following a career best innings haul of 7/19 for Worcestershire against Essex,[51] the issue of Ajmal's bowling action was again raised by former England captain Michael Vaughan and current Twenty20 captain Stuart Broad. The latter opined that Ajmal's action in competitive cricket may differ from that which he used during ICC testing. However, as part of the testing procedure, match footage is used alongside videos made "in a lab" and compared to ensure it is identical. Also, umpires are able to super-impose match footage on the testing footage to check that a bowlers' action has not subsequently deteriorated. This has been done in Ajmal's case and his action was found to be identical. Ajmal contacted the ECB to request an explanation for Broad's comments.[52]

In July 2014, he played for the MCC side in the Bicentenary Celebration match at Lord's.[53]

On 13 November 2017, he announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.[54

A right-arm off spinner, Ajmal's stock delivery turns into right-handed batsman but he also frequently uses the doosra which turns the other way,[33] and he generally bowls flatter than most off spinners. The doosra has been an effective tool for Ajmal as batsmen have often failed to pick it. Explaining his bowling style in 2012, Ajmal said "If I bowl with flight I cannot bowl well. If I bowl at a quicker speed I can then use variations in pace. If I take 70% of my wickets with the doosra why should I not bowl it? Whether you bowl a doosra or an offbreak, the ball should be bowled on the right line and one should take a wicket with it."[55]

Zaheer Abbas - The Asian Bradman

 

Syed Zaheer Abbas Kirmani (in Punjabi and Urdu: سید ظہیر عباس کرمانی; born 24 July 1947), popularly known as Zaheer Abbas, is a former Pakistani cricketer. He is among few professional cricketers who used to wear spectacles. In 1982/1983, he became the first batsman to score three consecutive centuries in one-day internationals.[1] Sometimes known as 'the Asian Bradman', Zaheer Abbas is regarded as one of the finest batsmen in the history of cricket.[2][3][4] In August 2020, he was inducted to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.[5]

Abbas made his Test match debut in 1969; in his second Test he scored 274 against England, which is still the sixth-ever highest score by a Pakistani batsman. This was the first of his four Test double-centuries; only two men from Pakistan (Younis Khan and Javed Miandad) have scored more.[6] The last was an innings of 215 against India in 1983, the first of three centuries in consecutive Tests, and his hundredth first-class century; Abbas and Geoffrey Boycott are the only two batsmen to have scored their hundredth first-class century in a Test match.[7]

Abbas had great success in first-class cricket, and was the first Asian batsman to score one hundred first-class centuries.[8] He had a long stint with Gloucestershire; joining the county in 1972, he remained there for thirteen years. During that time he scored over a thousand runs in the majority of his thirteen seasons. He also made over two thousand runs in a single season on two occasions for the club (1976 and 1981). During those thirteen years at Gloucestershire, he played 206 first-class games, scoring over 16,000 runs. He averaged 49.79, hitting 49 hundreds and 76 fifties. Abbas is the only player to have scored a century and double century in a first-class match four times, finishing each of the eight innings not out.[9]

Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian Test captain, once said while commentating that the Indian players would often say to Zaheer, "Zaheer Ab-bas karo", which means "Zaheer, stop it now" in Urdu and Hindi, referring to Abbas' free scoring.

Abbas had two stints as captain of the national team in 1981 and 1984. He retired from international cricket in 1985, and has officiated as a match referee in one Test and three ODI matches. He has also worked as the manager of the national team. In 2015 he became ICC president, the third cricketer after Colin Cowdrey and Clyde Walcott, to hold the post.[10]

Zaheer Abbas held the record for scoring the most runs by any batsman in a 4 match bilateral ODI series (346 runs) from 1982 to 2015.[11] The record was broken by Hashim Amla of South Africa in 2015.[12

Mushtaq Ahmed - the googly expert

 

Mushtaq Ahmed Malik (Urdu: مشتاق احمد ملک) (born 28 June 1970) is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer who currently acts as the spin bowling coach for the Pakistan Cricket Team. A leg break googly bowler, at his peak he was described as being one of the best three wrist-spinners in the world. In an international career that spanned from 1990 until 2003, he claimed 185 wickets in Test cricket and 161 in One Day Internationals. He was at his most prolific internationally between 1995 and 1998, but his most successful years were as a domestic player for Sussex in the early 2000s.

Mushtaq was part of the Pakistan team which won the 1992 Cricket World Cup, and five years later, he was named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. During his time with Sussex, he was the leading wicket-taker in the County Championship for five successive seasons, and helped the county win the competition in 2003, 2006 and 2007. He is the only bowlers in the world to take man of the match in SENA.

Mushtaq Ahmed made his first-class cricket debut in January 1987, at the age of 16.[1] Playing for Multan, he claimed four wickets in the second innings of the match against Sukkur.[2] He claimed his maiden recorded five-wicket haul in the format the following season, playing for the Punjab Chief Minister's XI against the touring England cricket team.[3] Shortly thereafter, he competed in the 1988 Under-19 World Cup, where he was the joint leading wicket-taker, claiming 19 wickets at an average of 16.21.[4] Pakistan reached the final of the tournament, in which they lost to Australia by five wickets.[5] Early the following season, Mushtaq took the first ten-wicket haul of his career, collecting six wickets in the first innings and eight in the second innings of a match against Peshawar.[6] He continued to impress that season, and took 52 wickets at an average of 22.84.[7] He continued to appear for Pakistan Under-19s, and took 26 wickets in their series against India under-19s, more than double any other Pakistani player.[8] His strong performances resulted in a call-up to the Pakistan national cricket team in March 1989.[1]

International bowler

He made his full international debut on 23 March 1989, playing a One Day International (ODI) against Sri Lanka. He took two wickets for 33 runs in the match, which Pakistan won by 30 runs.[9] He retained his place in the Pakistan side for the subsequent tri-series with India and the West Indies, and made his Test cricket debut in January 1990 against Australia at the Adelaide Oval.[1] His only wicket of the match was that of Mark Taylor.[10] A year later, took fourteen wickets in a match against Peshawar, collecting five in the first innings, followed by nine in the second, finishing the match with figures of 14 for 130.[11]

In 1992, Mushtaq was part of the Pakistan team which won the Cricket World Cup. He was joint-second amongst bowlers by wickets taken, having claimed 16 during the tournament, trailing only his compatriot Wasim Akram.[12] He struggled to make a significant impact in Test cricket for a number of years after his debut: between 1990 and 1994, he only claimed ten or more wickets in a Test series on one occasion, against England in 1992. However, between November 1995 and March 1998, he took at least ten wickets in every Test series, and claimed ten five-wicket hauls.[7] The first occasion on which he claimed five wickets in an innings in Test cricket was the second Test against Australia in November 1995.[13] He repeated the feat in the third Test of that series, and then in the only Test of the subsequent series against New Zealand, in which he recorded his best figures in a Test match, seven for 56.[14] His only five-wicket haul in ODI cricket occurred in the fifth ODI of the "Sahara 'Friendship' Cup", a series played between India and Pakistan in Toronto, Canada. He took five wickets for 36 runs to help Pakistan win the match by 52 runs, and thus clinch the series 3–2.[15]

During his most prolific years of Test cricket, he played his first spell of county cricket, appearing for Somerset between 1993 and 1998. In his book Somerset County Cricket Club (100 Greats), Eddie Lawrence describes Mushtaq as "one of Somerset's best-ever "overseas" signings."[16] He played 62 first-class matches for the county, and claimed 289 wickets at an average of 26.32.[16] In 1997, he was named as one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year, in which he was described as being a member of "a glittering triumvirate of wrist-spinners who adorn the modern game."[17]

In the late 1990s, Mushtaq was one of a number of Pakistan cricketers who were suspected of match-fixing. Saleem Pervez alleged that he had given Mushtaq, along with Salim Malik, £100,000 to intentionally lose a match against Australia in September 1994.[18] After an inquiry, Mushtaq was fined £3,500, and banned from captaining Pakistan.[19] The judge presiding over the inquiry stated that: "There are sufficient grounds to cast strong doubt on Mushtaq Ahmed."[18]

Later career

After losing his place in the Pakistan national cricket team, Mushtaq played one season of county cricket for Surrey in 2002, having appeared in the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition for Northop Hall the previous year.[1] He failed to impress for Surrey, claiming eight wickets at an average of 38.12.[20] The following season, he joined Sussex, where he became the leading county wicket taker for five seasons in a row, playing a major role in Sussex's first ever County Championship title.[21]

His form for the county prompted a recall to international duty, but it was short-lived: he played two Tests and one ODI before being dropped for the final time.[1] He helped Sussex to win the County Championship twice more before persistent knee injuries forced him to retire at the end of the 2008 season.[22] In 85 matches with Sussex, Mushtaq claimed 478 wickets at an average of 25.34.[20]

Coaching career

In late 2008, the England and Wales Cricket Board appointed Mushtaq as spin-bowling coach to the England cricket team until 2014 when lost his job in Peter Moores reshuffle. He joins batting coach Graham Gooch and Richard Halsall, the fielding coach in not retaining their roles. His major success as bowling was to install Graeme Swann as lead spin bowler for England cricket team [23]

He was bowling coach of Surrey County Cricket Club for brief period of time in 2012.[24] He was also on the verge of joining the Delhi Daredevils as a bowling coach for the 2013 IPL season.[25]

In 2014, Mushataq was named as Pakistan cricket team's bowling consultant under new coach Waqar Younis and his contract ended in May 2016.[26][27]

In April 2016, Mushtaq was named as head coach of Pakistan's National Cricket Academy.[28] In November 2018 Ahmed was appointed as the assistant coach and spin consultant of West Indies national cricket team ahead of the tour of Bangladesh.[29][30] In April 2019 Mushtaq was honoured with the Outstanding Achievement in Sport award at The Asian Awards.[31]

On 9 June 2020, the PCB appointed Mushtaq Ahmed as their spin-bowling coach for Pakistan's tour to England.[32][33]

Pakistan cricket team having a magnificent 2021 so far

After the disastrous tour of New Zealand and starting the year poorly with a defeat in the second test against New Zealand Pakistan has bounced back nicely this year. Credit should go to PCB for bringing in the changes like replacing Misbah ul Haq with Mohammad Wasim and his new team as head of selectors. Mohammad Wasim completely changed the team and that changes completely changed the fortunes of Pakistan cricket team.

After New Zealand tour, people in cricketing circles were saying that Pakistan can no longer win in test cricket. All that changed with Pakistan's magnificent performance at home defeating South Africa infact whitewashing South Africa 2-0 in the home series. This was Pakistan's first test series win since 2003 against South Africa. Fawad Alam and the inspired selection by Mohammad Wasim of Hasan Ali were the star performers of the test series against South Africa.

Pakistan then went on to win 2-1 in the twenty20 series against South Africa at home, then they defeated South Africa 2-1 in ODI s and 3-1 in the twenty 20 series against South Africa in their own conditions which is a remarkable feat and achievement by Pakistan. Pakistan has also defeated Zimbabwe in Twenty20 series 2-1 and looks set to whitewash Zimbabwe in the test series.

Babar Azam is a great gift for Pakistan cricket team not only as a batsman but as a captain as well. He really matches Virat Kohli in every aspect. I wish Pakistan cricket team best of luck for the remainder of the year 2021 after having a successful tour of Africa.

Aamir Sohail - One of Pakistan's best opening batsmen

 

Mohammad Aamer Sohail Ali (Urdu: محمد عامر سہیل علی‎; born 14 September 1966) is a Pakistani cricket commentator and former cricketer.[1] In a playing career that spanned eighteen years, Sohail played in 195 first-class and 261 List A Limited Overs matches, including 47 Test matches and 156 One Day Internationals for Pakistan.

Domestic career

Sohail made his first-class debut in 1983, a left-handed opening batsman and occasional left-arm spin bowler.

International career

Early years

An aggressive batsman, Sohail first appeared for the national team in a 1990 one-day International against Sri Lanka and enjoyed a successful international career. He was an important member of the team that won the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Captaincy

Sohail captained Pakistan in six Tests in 1998, becoming the first Pakistani captain to defeat South Africa in a Test Match.[2] He led Pakistan through 22 One Day Internationals from 1996 to 1998, winning nine and averaging 41.5 with the bat. He also acted as acting captain of Pakistan against West Indies in Sharjah.[3]

Controversies

Sohail played a big role in Pakistan's World-Cup triumph in 1992, famously telling Ian Botham that he might want to send his mother-in-law in to bat, referring to Botham's statement that he wouldn't send even his mother-in-law to Pakistan, after Botham was controversially given out for nought in the final.

In the 1996 World Cup Quarter Final in Bangalore against arch rival India, Sohail was captaining his side in pursuit of a relatively large target of 287 in 49 overs.[4] With opening partner Saeed Anwar, he got Pakistan off to a flying start. With the score at 109 for one, and Saeed Anwar (48) back in the pavilion, Sohail smashed a delivery from Indian seamer Venkatesh Prasad through the covers for four. Both players exchanged words, and Sohail unnecessarily pointed his finger aggressively at Prasad. The next delivery clean-bowled him and triggered a batting collapse which ultimately lost the game and eliminated Pakistan from the competition.[4] Sohail was at the heart of the match-fixing scandal that rocked cricket in the 1990s: as captain of the national team, his whistle-blowing may have negatively affected his international career.[5]

Cricket administration

After retiring from cricket in 2001, Sohail became chief selector for the national team, his tenure ending in January 2004 when he was replaced by former national team wicketkeeper Wasim Bari. He continues to work as a cricket broadcaster. On 4 February 2014, he was again appointed as Chief Selector of the national team for the second time.[6]

Moin Khan - A Pakistani street fighting cricketer

 

Muhammad Moin Khan (Urdu: محمد معین خان‎; born 23 September 1971) is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer, primarily a wicketkeeper-batsman, who remained a member of the Pakistani national cricket team from 1990 to 2004. He has also captained the Pakistani side. He made his international debut against the West Indies at Multan. He took over 100 catches in Test cricket. He has scored over 3,000 ODI runs and taken over 200 catches in ODI cricket. He is credited with coining the name of Saqlain Mushtaq's mystery delivery that goes from leg to off, as the doosra. It means the "other one" in Urdu. In July 2013, he replaced Iqbal Qasim as the chief selector of the Pakistan cricket team.[1] Moin was appointed the head coach of the national team on 11 February 2014.[2]

Throughout his international career, Moin had to compete with another wicket-keeper, Rashid Latif. Moin kept wickets in the 1992 Cricket World Cup which Pakistan won and the 1999 Cricket World Cup where Pakistan finished runners up. Latif kept wickets in the 1996 Cricket World Cup and the 2003 Cricket World Cup.

During the 1992 Cricket World Cup Semi-final against New Zealand, Pakistan needed 9 runs for 8 balls before Khan hit a six to make it 3 runs off 7 balls and then hit a boundary to help Pakistan set up a clash in the world cup final with England. In the world cup final, Pakistan were 249 from 50 overs with Khan not getting a chance to bat. However, he took three catches in the match including one of Ian Botham, who went for a duck against an inswinger bowled by Wasim Akram.[3]

Domestic career

In 2005, Moin scored the first century in Pakistan domestic Twenty20 cricket when he smashed 112 off 59 balls for Karachi Dolphins against Lahore Lions in the ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup. At the end of the season, he retired from cricket finishing with 200 not out against Hyderabad, his highest first-class score.

In 2007, Moin signed with the unofficial Indian Cricket League and coached the Hyderabad Heroes. In the 2008 edition of the competition, he coached the expansion team, the Lahore Badshahs.

Coaching career

Moin was appointed the manager of the team in August 2013.[4] He was appointed as the new head coach of the national team on 11 February 2014, replacing Dav Whatmore.[5]

He was appointed chief selector for the Pakistani team in 2013. But in 2015, during the Cricket World Cup 2015 he was removed from the position after the teams poor performance during the World Cup.

Personal life

Khan's son Owais is married to television actress Mariam Ansari.[6]