Saeed Ajmal - the magician in the Arabian desert - Part 1 - Opinion
With a twirling action, snappy fingers and a penchant for snaring some of the very best, Saeed Ajmal of Pakistan, is arguably, the finest spinner in the world today. He brings back vague flashbacks of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saqlain-Mushtaq-c88743 for various romantics, who was a player
that pioneered the ‘Doosra’ or the ‘other one’ and made spin s**y again. In a land known for extravagant stroke play, and spinners who could turn the ball prodigiously, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Saeed-Ajmal-c87859 is undoubtedly a complete package. His ruthlessness with the ball
has bamboozled some of the finest players in ODI and Test cricket, and he is bound to be a force in the ongoing series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 in the Emirates.
Ajmal’s record is simply remarkable, in a team which has been plagued by internal and external issues in recent times. He was fast tracked into the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 side during the Asia Cup of 2008 at the age of 30. Since then, his status as one of the best bowlers
in ODI cricket was not as obvious as it is now. He stood in contrast to players such as Tendulkar, Chanderpaul or even http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tamim-Iqbal-c2640, who were considered to be destined for great things. Yet he could turn the ball prodigiously and became known for his conventional
‘other one’, after consistently performing well with the ball for the most part of 2011. Ajmal has been literally unplayable on occasions, and despite Pakistan faltering in their recent series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758, he was the lone performer with the ball. With
him in the side, Pakistan has almost looked and continues to look like a dangerous outfit which is capable of annihilating any opposition on their day. It is safe to say that prior to the disappointments of losing to Sri Lanka and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, Ajmal was the embodiment
of the team’s consistency in the Emirates and beyond the Arabian desert.
His strength lies in his ability to extract turn and fox players. No more was this evident than the 2011 Cricket World Cup in the subcontinent. In the Quarter final clash against a team such as the West Indies (which is known for its occasional brilliance),
Ajmal tore through the batting line up with such impunity that even commentators such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 had to settle for a dismal 112 in their first innings. Pakistan romped home
by ten wickets underneath the floodlights in Dhaka, and went onto contest the semi final against arch rivals http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750. Ajmal bowled admirably in that game as well as in the group stages of the tournament and his performances were precisely one of the many reasons
as to why Pakistan became a formidable, consistent outfit.
Ajmal however, is not an ODI http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Wilfred-Norman-Stewart-Hoare-c96597. His form in the limited overs version of the game permeated into the Test arena, as Pakistan’s remarkable run in Test cricket became a byproduct of Ajmal’s brilliance. The turn, zip, guile and loop that Ajmal exhibited
in the Emirates in various Test match encounters was instrumental in ensuring that sides such as Sri Lanka and England were kept at bay. Even in lesser successful times, Ajmal became the stand out bowler for Pakistan. This fact, along with Ajmal’s notoriety
as a partnership breaker in the format that he enjoys, makes him a key player for Pakistan.
Continued in Part 2...
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