"Wanted to smash James Anderson's head with my bat," says Saeed Ajmal about 2010 Edgbaston Test

The innings saw Ajmal score his only Test half-century.

Saeed Ajmal | Getty

Former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal made just one half-century in Test cricket. He scored 50 against England at Edgbaston in 2010. When he came out to bat, he expected the England pacers to get him out by clean bowling him.

However, he kept receiving dangerous bouncers and some words from veteran England pacer James Anderson. At that point in time, Ajmal wanted to smash his head with the bat according to his revelation.

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Saeed Ajmal said in a YouTube video, “When they [England] took the new ball, Anderson came up to me and said ‘Are you ready for bouncers?’ and I told him that I don’t know English. I thought he [was] joking since I am a tailender and he would probably bowl straight and get me out.

He then started attacking the bouncers and then found his way to a half-century.

But they fired a barrage of bouncers at me. When I got hit by six or seven bouncers, I told Zulqarnain [Haider] that I want to smash Anderson’s head with my bat. Then I decided to go for my shots. I tried to step out of my crease and hit a couple of bouncers. Then the ball started coming on to my bat and I ended up with a fifty,” he added.

The home side went on to win the match by 9 wickets and Graeme Swann was adjudged man of the match for picking up 6 wickets in the second innings.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times)

 
 

By Sameer Deodhar - 14 Apr, 2020

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