Lahore: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal on Thursday quashed reports of retirement and said he would sit down with the selectors to discuss his future.
The 38-year-old’s career took a nosedive ever since he was banned from bowling in international cricket in September last year due to an illegal action.
He is now bowling with a remodelled action that was cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), but his deliveries have lacked their earlier venom.
“I never wanted to retire in obscurity as I have done enough for Pakistan to win matches single-handedly,” Ajmal was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
“I want to retire with respect and honour. I will definitely sit with the selectors and discuss my future plans with them.
“Obviously I needed some time to settle down with my bowling action,” the 37-year-old said.
“I could have persisted for the national selection earlier but it might have been a risky case as we have seen [Mohammad] Hafeez is reported again after being cleared. So it’s a matter of getting things right and waiting for the right time.”
The offie, who made his One Day International (ODI) debut at the advanced age of 31, insisted he is not bowling well because of a lack of confidence and is hopeful of getting his form back soon.
“Regardless of being reported, there were odds that I might have faced a dip in form. I could have struggled taking wickets with my previous action as well and then what? Actually it’s not really a case that I am not effective, it’s a matter of form and confidence that I just need to hit and I have started to get flow,” he said.
Ajmal also believes that he can still be effective in the shorter format of the game and would prove it in the upcoming tournaments.
“I know I am not able to get wickets in four-day cricket maybe because the pitches [in England] are green, soft and it rains a lot, but at the same time I am still a better limited-overs bowler and can take wickets in the shorter format.”
“I was assured that I will be considered and won’t be discarded. I also understand that Yasir [Shah] and Zulfi [Zulfiqar Babar] are doing very well and I don’t want to dislodge their place, but I think there is some room for me in limited-overs cricket and I will prove that in the T20 cup in Pakistan.”
