Published: Dec 16, 2022, 11:32 AM (IST)
Edited: Dec 16, 2022, 11:32 AM (IST)
New Delhi: Former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal was one of the best spinners of his time. Ajmal, who made his debut against India in 2008, troubled the best batters with his quality off-spin. The bowler played 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is for Pakistan and went on to take 447 wickets.
Ajmal has now made a sensational claim about his debut against India. The spinner revealed that he was told that the game against India is his first and last game. Ajmal had a good outing as he took the wicket of Yusuf Pathan, giving away just 47 runs in 10 overs, helping Pakistan win by 8 wickets.
“Jab main aaya, toh pehla match India ke khilaaf mila. Debut se pehle mere ko kaha gaya ki ye mera pehla aur aakhiri match hai. Kaha gaya ki Saeed Ajmal perform karta hai toh khelega, nahi karta toh nahi khelega. Aur match India se tha, saari duniya dekhti hai vo match. (I played my first match against India. Before my debut, I was told that this would be my first and the last match if I don’t do well in the match. The entire world watches IND vs PAK match),” Ajmal narrated the story on the Ultra Edge podcast.
“Jab main andar gaya, mujhe cramp pad gaye pehle hi 10 over me. Misbah kaptaan tha uss time, aur usne bola tujhe powerplay me over karna hai. Maine Misbah ko kaha ki mujhe cramp padh rahe hain, mujhe jaldi over de de taaki main over karke bahar chala jau. Misbah bola, ‘ye kya keh rahe ho? Mujhe tumko aakhri over dene hain’. (I was suffering from cramps. Misbah was the captain, and he told me I had to bowl in the powerplat. I told him that I’m having cramps, give me overs now and let me leave. He replied, ‘what are you saying? I have to give you overs in the end).
“Mujhe aur cramps pade. Pehle 5 over kiye, achhi bowling ki. Maine koi doosra nahi kiya, mujhe bas runs rokne the. Uske baad main patti baandh ke aaya, 3-4 ovesr kiye, fir cramp pad gaye. (I bowled well in the first five overs, didn’t bowl the doosra as I had to stop runs).
“Crowd ne pressure kiya tha, media ne kiya tha. Sab kuch bardaasht kiya, aakhiri over kiya, uske baad maine jo bowling ki. Maza aaya. (There was the pressure of the crowd and media. I was in pain but I continued. I enjoyed a lot when In bowled well),” Ajmal said.
