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

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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

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.