Interview with Saeed Ajmal: "Last year's ban on my bowling action still surprises me"

Saeed Ajmal believes he can make a return to the Pakistan cricket team

Saeed Ajmal made his international debut only after getting past the age of 30. Since then, he has seen the highs and lows of cricket like very people in the history of the game have.

The Faisalabad-born spinner turned heads when he ended up playing a huge part in Pakistan’s triumph campaign at the ICC World T20 in 2009. In the years to come, he would rise to be ranked the number one bowler in the world in the ODI and T20I formats of the game. He also reached a high of being ranked second in Tests.

In 2014, his career received a hammer blow when he was reported for a suspect bowling action and was then suspended from bowling.

Now, at the twilight of his career and after being left out of the national team after an unimpressible series with a new bowling action, the 37-year-old spoke to Sportskeeda in an exclusive interview, talking about his international career, the ban on his bowling action and the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Here are the excerpts:

You made your international debut only at the age of 31. Do you feel you should have been selected earlier?

Not really.

Did you feel hard done by the ICC's decision to suspend you from bowling after allowing you to bowl with the same action for many years before?

It is still very surprising for me and it did confuse me a lot when the ban was implemented last year.

How much did the ban on your bowling action affect you personally?

Not much.

A lot of people have said a doosra cannot be bowled with a legal action. Do you disagree?

Yes, I do disagree. It is possible to bowl a doosra with a legal action.

Who was the batsman you found the toughest to bowl to?

Kumar Sangakkara.

Do you think you can still make a comeback to the Pakistan cricket team?

Yes, I do believe so.

What are your thoughts on Pakistan's current spinning options?

Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar have been bowling really well. They deserve to play in the current team.

Do you think it's important that Pakistan’s cricketers are allowed to play in the IPL?

I think so. Politics should always stay away from cricket. All cricketers are friends with each other off the field and should be allowed to play together.

What are the biggest regrets of your cricketing career?

Don’t really have any regrets.