Saeed Ajmal

Saeed Ajmal
سعید اجمل

SI
Saeed Ajmal in 2013
Personal information
Full name
Saeed Ajmal
Born (1977-10-14) 14 October 1977 (age 47)
Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan
NicknameThe Magician[1][2][3]
Height5 ft 4 in (163 cm)[4]
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm off break
RoleBowler
Websiterealsaeedajmal.com
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 195)4 July 2009 v Sri Lanka
Last Test16 January 2014 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 171)2 July 2008 v India
Last ODI19 April 2015 v Bangladesh
ODI shirt no.50
T20I debut (cap 31)7 May 2009 v Australia
Last T20I24 April 2015 v Bangladesh
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1996–2017Faisalabad
2000–2007Khan Research Laboratories
2001–2002Islamabad
2005–2015Faisalabad Wolves
2009–2017Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd
2011; 2014–2015Worcestershire
2012Dhaka Gladiators
2012Adelaide Strikers
2013Barisal Burners
2016–2017Islamabad United
2017Chittagong Vikings
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA
Matches 35 113 148 229
Runs scored 451 324 2,007 567
Batting average 11.00 7.04 13.11 7.36
100s/50s 0/1 0/0 0/4 0/0
Top score 50 33 53* 33
Balls bowled 11,592 6,000 34,496 12,082
Wickets 178 184 578 349
Bowling average 28.10 22.72 26.87 24.49
5 wickets in innings 10 2 39 3
10 wickets in match 4 0 7 0
Best bowling 7/55 5/24 7/19 5/18
Catches/stumpings 11/– 25/– 51/– 54/–
Source: [1], 27 February 2020

Saeed Ajmal SI (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. 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.[5] He is one of four Test bowlers who made their debut after the age of thirty to take more than 100 test wickets, along with Clarrie Grimmett, Dilip Doshi and Ryan Harris.[6]

On 28 January 2012, in his 20th Test, Ajmal became the quickest Pakistani to take 100 Test wickets.[7] He held the record of leading wicket taker (85) in Twenty20 International cricket before Shahid Afridi broke this record (101).[8] He was signed by Adelaide Strikers for the 2012 Big Bash League in Australia.[9]

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.[10]

On 13 November 2017, Ajmal announced his retirement from all forms of cricket.[11] 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.[12] Currently, Ajmal is an assistant coach of PSL team Islamabad United.[13][14]

  1. ^ "Saeed Ajmal: a magician who disappeared". Daily Times (newspaper). 14 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Farewell, Saeed Ajmal! You made sure the world remembers you as the 'bowling magician'!". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 16 November 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  3. ^ "'Magician' Saeed Ajmal boosts Worcestershire push". BBC Sport. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Ajmal factor worries India ahead of Pakistan match". The Indian Express. 24 September 2009. He is just five feet four inches tall but with his ability to extract spin from any surface,Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has become a thorn[...]
  5. ^ "Sachin Tendulkar gains one place in ICC Test rankings". The Times of India. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 29 June 2012.
  6. ^ "England deflated but determined to be best of all time". 2 February 2012.
  7. ^ Rehman stuns England to give Pakistan series, ESPNCricinfo, 28 January 2012, retrieved 28 January 2012
  8. ^ T20I-Most wickets in career, ESPNCricinfo, 16 November 2013, retrieved 16 November 2013
  9. ^ "Ajmal signs up with Adelaide Strikers in BBL". Wisden India. 7 November 2012.
  10. ^ "Pakistan's banned spinner Saeed Ajmal rules himself out of World Cup return". The Guardian. Associated Press. 27 December 2014. Retrieved 26 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Ajmal announces retirement from all forms of cricket". Cricbuzz. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  12. ^ "Wish my last game was an international match - Ajmal". ESPN Cricinfo. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  13. ^ "PSL 2018: All you need to know about teams, players". Retrieved 10 September 2018
  14. ^ "Saeed Ajmal Biography, Achievements, Career Info, Records & Stats - Sportskeeda". Sportskeeda. Retrieved 11 February 2019.