Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, who always remained under the lens for suspected bowling action, eventually announced his retirement from all forms of cricket, saying: “Ban over action left me frustrated and hurt.”
“More hurtful was that current player Stuart Broad questioned that and his comments hurt me no end. But I have forgiven everyone,” Ajmal said as quoted by AFP.
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Faisalabad-born off-spinner was once ranked world’s number one bowler in ODIs and T20 International cricket.
Ajmal was equally successful in Tests with three Test matches against England in 2012 remain a high point of his career. He had famously claimed 24 wickets in three Test matches.
England fast bowler Stuart Broad raised questions about the legality of Ajmal’s action when he was featuring in a county championship. Incidentally, Broad’s remarks came just a month before the umpires in Sri Lanka booked him for illegal bowling action for the second time.
Referring to fellow spinner Mohammad Hafeez, Ajmal criticised the process of evicting bowlers for illegal action. “It seems that the process was meant for me and (Mohammad) Hafeez, all other bowlers with questionable actions are still playing,” he said.
“I am quitting all forms of cricket after the current National Twenty20 tournament,” the spinner broke the retirement news over the phone.
Having claimed 178 wickets in 35 Tests, Ajmal said: “It was a highly satisfying career in which I achieved whatever goals I set for myself and helped the team win matches.”
The 40-year-old hinted that he might go for coaching in the future.
