Saeed Ajmal to retire from all forms of cricket

Lahore: Controversial off-spinner spinner Saeed Ajmal is set to retire from all forms of cricket after the end of the ongoing National T20 tournament in Pakistan.

“This national event is my last tournament and I don’t want to be a burden on any team. The last phase was frustrating. But before anyone can raise a finger against my selection [in domestic matches], I want to leave and that’s my final decision”. Ajmal said during the mid-innings break at Rawalpindi during a tournament game, according to a report in Wisden India.

A late bloomer in international cricket, Ajmal, now 40, had to undergo the process of re-modelling his action in 2014, a move that greatly affected his wicket-taking prowess. Before the remodelling, Ajmal was one of the most sought-after spinners in world cricket, and from November 2011 to December 2014, was the No.1 bowler in ICC’s ODI rankings.

After being banned by the ICC for an illegal bowling action, he underwent a corrective program with Saqlain Mushtaq, but couldn’t recreate the magic of old, despite getting to feature in the 2015 World Cup.

In 35 Tests, Ajmal took 178 wickets, while in 113 ODIs and 64 T20Is, he took 184 and 85 wickets respectively. His last international game was a T20I against Pakistan at Dhaka in April 2015.

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