Saeed Ajmal rubbishes retirement rumours

Despite struggling with a remodelled action and being overlooked by Pakistan, Saeed Ajmal has no plans to retire from worldwide duty.

Ajmal, who turns 38 next month, has faced a tough time since returning to cricket from a five-month suspension after his bowling action was found to be illegal by the global Cricket Council previous year. Earlier, it was reported in the media that Ajmal was thinking long and hard about giving up on his bid to make a comeback to the worldwide arena after a disappointing show in the National Twenty20 Championship.

But Ajmal remains optimistic of regaining his form with the remodelled action and winning his place back in the Pakistan side. The 37-year-old also opted out of the last match for his Faisalabad team. Chief selector Haroon Rasheed said there was a lot of domestic cricket to be played this season and Ajmal should keep on working on his bowling action and hope for the best.

“It is never easy to change your bowling action after you have bowled with it and enjoyed success for so many years”.

In a statement released via his agent, Moghees Sheikh, Ajmal told Omnisport: “I’m very confident, content on my gradual improving performance”.

“We have kept the options open for the 16th player in the Test squad against England, picking two left-arm spin bowlers, Zafar Gohar and Mohammad Asghar, for the brace of practice games and whoever amongst the two performs well would be added to the Test squad”, he said.

“I’m a fighter and will fight to regain my spot”.