Sharjah: Pakistan’s star off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s bowling is being keenly studied by the Australians in a bid to find a way to combat his brilliance.
Ajmal has taken three for 30 at Sharjah and four for 32 at Abu Dhabi in the series so far as Australia struggle to come to terms with his variations. Earlier this year the England team also put Ajmal’s bowling under the microscope but still struggled to find a way to play him successfully.
Batsman David Hussey, answering a question from Gulf News on whether Ajmal is getting harder for Australia to face each game, said: “Ajmal is a hell of a great bowler and nice man too. All the boys and myself have been watching a lot of video on how to read him and play him differently.
“Sri Lankans and Indians play him as they believe attack is the best form of defence. It is totally different from the way Australians play him. However, you might see a different technique against him in the third game.”
Ajmal’s bowling has been studied very closely and Australia have concluded that his “doosra” is slightly slower than the normal off-spinner. Hussey summarised his observations about the strange ways of Ajmal’s deliveries thus: “Another way to read him is by just watching the seam of his delivery. The normal off-spinner spins towards fine leg direction, while the ‘doosra’ spins towards the keeper or first slip. That is the easiest way to explain it. It is slightly slower but the ‘doosra’ is a hell of a ball. But if you can read it, you can play it,” said Hussey, who has been an Ajmal victim in both Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
