Pak vs Aus: ‘If the spinner is going to look at the pitch and then bowl, what is the point of being a spinner then?,’ says Saeed Ajmal

LAHORE: Saeed Ajmal, Pakistan’s top-ranked off-spinner, believes that docile surfaces are not only to blame for drawn Test matches, but also for the bowlers’ inability to pick 20 wickets, particularly spinners.

Spinners, according to Ajmal, must generate opportunities regardless of pitch conditions and learn to execute regardless of the surface.

“If the spinner is going to look at the pitch and then bowl, what is the point of being a spinner then? Spinners need to learn to perform in all conditions. These were flat pitches and honestly, many decks in Test cricket are like this,” said Saeed Ajmal.

“The notion that Pakistan always had spin wickets was never the case. Even when we were playing in the UAE, we had to spin the ball and it did not just magically happen,” he added.

“There are two things; one is where you spin yourself and the other where spin happens for you. These are two fundamentally different things. The one who spins himself can take wickets in any condition. Our problem is that we don’t utilise the pace variations enough,” Ajmal added.

“Nauman Ali bowled relatively well and the wicket of Cameron Green is a perfect example; the ball pitched on the leg side and spun to clip the middle and off-stump. Although there weren’t many deliveries like that that is an example of how bowlers create opportunities when the track is not supporting you,” he explained.

Ajmal advised cultivating a longer-format mindset and devising well-thought-out strategies to outsmart hitters.

“To take wickets, you need temperament. You need to bowl a good 8-10 overs to play mind games with the batsmen and then you will be able to execute your plan. If you want to complain about ‘flat pitches’ then you should quit cricket,” Saeed further added.

He claims that playing well against spinners is the blueprint for success in subcontinent conditions and that all you need to succeed is a fundamental understanding of the game.

“When you go abroad, you prepare for bouncy pitches. In order to perform in India, you need to be good at playing spinners. For Pakistan, the only requirement is that the batsmen just know how to bat.”

“Our strength can also be spin tracks and Australia don’t necessarily play spin well. Nauman Ali picked up six wickets on a flat pitch, imagine how our bowlers will perform if the pitch conditions are a bit more suited to our spinners,” said Ajmal.

To taste triumph in Lahore, he continued, it’s critical to make rank turner.

“The only way we win is by creating spin pitches and I 100 percent agree that Lahore Test match pitch should be prepared as such,” admitted Ajmal.

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