Saeed Ajmal facts for kids
.jpg)
Saeed Ajmal in 2013
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 14 October 1977 Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | The Magician | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 195) | 4 July 2009 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 16 January 2014 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 171) | 2 July 2008 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 19 April 2015 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 50 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 31) | 7 May 2009 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 24 April 2015 v Bangladesh | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2017 | Faisalabad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | Khan Research Laboratories | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Islamabad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2015 | Faisalabad Wolves | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2017 | Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011; 2014–2015 | Worcestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Dhaka Gladiators | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Adelaide Strikers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Barisal Burners | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Islamabad United | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Chittagong Vikings | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Source: [1], 27 February 2020
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Saeed Ajmal (Punjabi, Urdu: سعید اجمل; born 14 October 1977) is a Pakistani cricket coach and a former cricketer. He was known as "The Magician" for his amazing bowling skills. He played all types of cricket matches.
Saeed Ajmal is a right-arm off-spin bowler. This means he spins the ball with his right hand so it turns away from a right-handed batter. He also batted right-handed.
He played for many teams in Pakistan, like Faisalabad. He helped Faisalabad win the 2005 ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup.
Saeed Ajmal started playing for Pakistan in One Day International (ODI) matches in July 2008. He was 30 years old then. A year later, he played his first Test match.
In 2009, his bowling action was checked to make sure it was fair. After being cleared, he helped Pakistan win the 2009 ICC World Twenty20. From 2011 to 2014, he was ranked the number one bowler in ODIs by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
He is one of only four Test bowlers who started playing after age thirty and took more than 100 Test wickets.
In 2014, the ICC banned him from bowling because his action was found to be illegal. He worked hard to fix it but decided to retire from all cricket in November 2017. His last match was on 29 November 2017.
Today, Saeed Ajmal is an assistant coach for the PSL team Islamabad United.
Contents
Playing for Teams in Pakistan
Saeed Ajmal started playing for his home team, Faisalabad, when he was 18 years old in 1995. He played for them until 2017.
He was a key player for the Faisalabad Wolves. They won the 2005 ABN-AMRO Twenty-20 Cup, and Saeed was named the best player in the final match.
In March 2006, Faisalabad won the ABN-AMRO Patron's Cup. Saeed was recognized as the best bowler in that tournament. He also played for other teams like Khan Research Laboratories and Islamabad.
Playing for Pakistan
Saeed Ajmal first played for Pakistan in June 2008 during the Asia Cup. He took his first international wicket against India.
In 2009, his bowling action was checked by cricket officials. They found it was within the rules. Later that year, he helped Pakistan win the 2009 ICC World Twenty20 tournament. He was one of the top wicket-takers in the competition.
Saeed continued his great performance in the 2010 ICC World Twenty20. He was Pakistan's best wicket-taker.
In 2010, during a series against England, Saeed Ajmal took his first five-wicket haul in Test matches. This means he took five wickets in one innings. He also scored 50 runs in a Test match, which was his first half-century.
During a difficult time for the Pakistan team in 2010, Saeed Ajmal was known for his honesty. People said he was too religious to be involved in any unfair activities.
In 2011, Pakistan became a very strong team. Saeed Ajmal was a big reason for this success. He took 50 wickets in Test matches that year, more than any other bowler in the world. He also became the number one bowler in the ICC's ODI rankings.
Becoming a Top Bowler
In 2012, Pakistan played a Test series against England. Saeed Ajmal was amazing, taking 10 wickets in the first match. He was named the best player of that match.
In the second match, he reached 100 wickets in Test cricket. He was the fastest Pakistani bowler to do this, reaching the milestone in just 19 matches. Pakistan won the series 3-0, and Saeed was named the best player of the series.
After this series, there were some questions about his bowling action again. However, investigations by cricket experts confirmed that his action was legal and followed the ICC rules.
Playing in Other Leagues
Saeed Ajmal also played for teams outside Pakistan. He joined Worcestershire in England in 2011, 2014, and 2015. He was their top wicket-taker in 2014.
He also played for the Adelaide Strikers in Australia's Big Bash League in 2012.
Retirement from Cricket
On 13 November 2017, Saeed Ajmal announced that he was retiring from all forms of cricket. His final match was on 29 November 2017, playing for Faisalabad.
Saeed Ajmal's Bowling Style
Saeed Ajmal was a right-arm off-spin bowler. His main ball would turn into a right-handed batter. But he was famous for his "doosra". This is a special ball that looks like an off-spin but turns the other way, confusing the batter.
He bowled faster and flatter than many other off-spinners. He once said that if he bowled with more air, he couldn't bowl as well. He believed in using his variations, especially the doosra, to take wickets.
ICC Ban on Bowling Action
On 9 September 2014, the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned Saeed Ajmal from bowling in international cricket. An independent test showed that his arm bent more than the allowed 15 degrees when he bowled. This meant his bowling action was illegal.
Honors and Awards
Saeed Ajmal was given the Sitara-e-Imtiaz award by the President of Pakistan on 23 March 2015. This is the third-highest civilian award in Pakistan. He received it for his great service to the nation through cricket.
