Former Pakistan spin bowler Saeed Ajmal has called out former Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar for his performances against Pakistan. The ex-Pakistani cricketer believe Tendulkar took advantage of an unfair stump shortening to beat his team in a World Cup semifinal.
“The umpire who gave Tendulkar out, he would be ready to give the statement that he got it right. And the meaning is pretty clear. The DRS can be checked manually. You can alter it at any stage. I don’t know about that but even if I see it now and any umpire sees that, he will think that this will go on to hit the stumps. But that missed the stumps. Thousands of people have questioned me [about] this, and I don’t know the answer.”
Is This the First Time Saeed Ajmal Has Made Controversial Statements about Opponents or Teams?
No, Saeed Ajmal is a popular controversial ex-cricketer known for his abstract takes about past opponents. He has made several quarrelsome comments about India, other teams, and event the ICC in recent years. His latest outburst is testament to his nature as a scandalous figure in Pakistani cricket.
Other Controversial Comments Have Come from Saeed Ajmal in Recent Years
2021: Ravi Ashwin Kept Away from Cricket to Avoid an ICC Ban
Ravi Ashwin has always been a threat to many cricketers, and ex-players don’t hold back in attempts to pull him down. Sanjay Manrekar was one of the first to take a swipe at Ashwin before Ajmal joined the bandwagon in June 2021:
“You changed all these rules and regulations without asking anyone. I was playing cricket for the last eight years. All those rules were for me. That’s it. During that period, Ashwin was out from cricket for six months. Why is that? So you can work on him and your bowler doesn’t get banned. They don’t care if a Pakistan bowler gets banned. They only care about money,”
Ajmal received a ban for his on-field bowling actions from the ICC and Ashwin was a national team regular from 2010 onwards. Saeed’s ban and Ashwin’s rise to popularity as a top cricketer may be the reason for such controversial comments.
2022: People Advised Me to Learn English, but I Hate the Language
“English language, I hate that word. When I became the world number 1, no one talked about my performance, all they advised me was to learn English. I told them that I will do what I want.”
2023: Dhoni Hit 18 Runs and Dropped Two Catches but Still Got MoTM
MS Dhoni’s memorable MoTM performance doesn’t sit well with Saeed Ajmal one decade after. The former spin bowler expressed his dissatisfaction with Dhoni after the series, signaling that the Indian all-rounder didn’t deserve the award.
He was on the Nadir Ali podcast and discussed his cricketing career at length. Ajmal believed he deserved that award in 2013 as he was a premium ODI bowler at the time.
Saeed recalls Pakistan’s daring performance against India, taking the Men in Blue out for 167 and getting five wickets in the match. Pakistan ended up falling short of their 168 target, but Ajmal believes he deserved the award nonetheless.
“Despite only scoring 18 runs and dropping two catches, Dhoni was awarded the Man of the Match title,” Ajmal commented on the podcast.
Ajmal bringing back memories from a decade earlier adds another level of petty to his already-popular controversial figure. Dhoni scored 36 runs in that game and contributed with a vital catch and one stumping behind stumps for India.
Why is Saeed Ajmal Making Many Controversial Comments Lately?
Ajmal seems to have beat his own record for most controversial comments from an ex-cricketer in one month. However, it wasn’t always so with the veteran cricketer. Let’s see the most probable reasons why Ajmal might be making so much bad comments about former opponents in recent times:
Rivalry with India
Pakistan’s rivalry with India is legendary. Cricketers from both countries have taken a swipe at each other in recent years. Ajmal may just happen to fan embers of conflict between teams ahead of India’s games with Pakistan throughout 2023.
India is on schedule to meet Pakistan at least four times in coming months, so Ajmal could be setting the stage for a high-octane encounter between both countries.
Clout-chasing
Ajmal might be chasing clout with his recent statements about Team India and their cricketers in recent years. He could also be idle or envious of the Men in Blue’s achievements in previous seasons.
