'Would Have Taken 1,000 Wickets If...', Pakistan Spinner Saeed Ajmal Takes A Dig At Indian Bowlers

Former Pakistan cricketers often make headlines with their opinions on Pakistan and Indian cricket, and this time is no different. One of Pakistan's renowned spinners, Saeed Ajmal, recently made a significant claim that has garnered attention. In a bold statement, Ajmal expressed his belief that if he had played for India and enjoyed the backing of a powerful board like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), he would have amassed 1000 wickets throughout his career.

Saeed Ajmal ____ "Sachin Tendulkar WorldCup me saaf out tha, India ne last 2 frames cut kr diye thy"#Pakistan #India #Cricket #WC2023 pic.twitter.com/X3FtL18OII

— Muhammad Noman (@nomanedits) July 1, 2023

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During a podcast, the 45-year-old Ajmal, who previously achieved the number 1 ranking in ODIs and T20Is, made this assertion. However, his bowling career took a downturn when the International Cricket Council (ICC) imposed a ban on his bowling, which had a profound impact on his performance. His last ODI for the Pakistan national team was in 2015.

"I would have taken 1,000 wickets by now. To be honest, if I played for India, I would have 1,000 wickets. I was a bowler who took 100 wickets every year. Almost every year in my international career, I took 100 wickets," remarked Ajmal on the Nadir Ali podcast.

He continued, "From 2012 to 2014, I took 326 wickets. (James) Anderson was second with 186 wickets. See the difference - 326 and 186 wickets. Every year, more than 100 wickets."

Ajmal further alleged that his bowling action was cleared in 2009. However, when he became successful and posed a challenge, the authorities modified the rules as a means to curtail his wicket-taking ability.

"They should have stopped me in 2009 only. But they allowed me to play. After I got 448 wickets, they realized there needs to be a way to stop him, and so they did what they did. I was the world number one bowler when I was banned from bowling," asserted Ajmal.

Throughout his career, Ajmal represented Pakistan in 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, claiming 178, 184, and 85 wickets, respectively.