Saeed Ajmal is a former Pakistani cricketer who acted as a central cog in the Pakistani team for several years.
He was born on October 14, 1977, in the Pakistani province of Punjab’s Faisalabad district.
In the Domestic Circuit, he has been a rock for his Faisalabad team.
With his powerful off breaks, Ajmal has sent several batsmen into hiding. He’s still a valuable contributor at the bottom of the order.
Ajmal has played 229 matches and taken 349 wickets at an average of 24.49 in his illustrious career. On November 13th, 2017, Ajmal declared the end of his illustrious career.
Background
Ajmal, a modern-day offspinner with a fantastic pedigree who depends on the doosra as well as other flight and pace variants, came into international cricket late, at the age of 30, but leaving no stone unturned to become one of the best spinners in the game today. On March 23, 2015, President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain awarded him with Sitara-e-Imtiaz in appreciation of his contributions to the region. It is Pakistan’s third highest civilian honour.
Debut
He made his debut against India in the 2008 Asia Cup, and he wowed everyone with the amount of turn he created. His impressive success in the T20 World Cup secured him a spot in the Test squad for the upcoming tour to Sri Lanka. He made an instant impression, taking 14 wickets in three matches.
High Points
During the 2009 T20 World Cup in England, he showed his outstanding skills.
With his off-spin and doosra, Ajmal bamboozled the batsmen, finishing the tournament as the joint second-highest wicket taker with 12 wickets.
His heroics, along with Shahid Afridi’s all-round genius, were instrumental in Pakistan’s victory.
In the shorter style of the game, he started to shine. In the 2010 T20 World Cup, he took 4/26 to exclude South Africa from the tournament.
He took his first five-wicket haul in Tests against England in 2010, when he took 5/82. He made an important contribution with the bat, scoring a tenacious half-century.
Ajmal progressed with each passing year and had a wonderful Test series in the West Indies. He took 20 wickets in the two-match series, including his first-ever 10-wicket haul in Guyana.
Low Points
The ICC summoned him in 2009 for suspected conduct, but he was quickly cleared, and he managed to annoy batsmen with his arsenal of tricks.
The semi-final match against Australia in the 2010 T20 World Cup was a nightmare. Michael Hussey stamped his authority on Ajmal by clubbing him for three big sixes in his final over to claim a nail-biter.
Club Career
In different T20 leagues around the world, he has played for teams including the Faisalabad Wolves, Dhaka Gladiators, and Adelaide Strikers.
Retirement
Ajmal announced his retirement from all aspects of cricket on November 13, 2017. On November 29, 2017, he played his final match for Faisalabad against the Lahore Whites in the National T20 Cup semi-finals.