adminJeffrey Murimbechi Sports Correspondent
NOTHING can be taken away from Saeed Ajmal’s mastery of the art of spin bowling and his figures are testimony of his brilliance but Malcom Waller appears to have found a way to play him.
Ajmal took 11 wickets in Zimbabwe’s 221-run loss in the first Test last week. Pakistani cricket commentator and analyst, Chishty Mujaid, has been a cricket broadcaster for 46 years following the rise and fall of many of his great countrymen and is well aware of the ‘Ajmal factor.’
He believes Waller’s resistance, or modest fight back, is a bold battle against a man feared the world over.
“Saeed Ajmal is a bit of a mystery bowler and at times batsmen take their time and effort to work him out, but when they think that they have worked him out he always produces something else because he is a thinking bowler,” said Mujaid.
“So many batsmen are intimidated by him because of what they have heard and seen him do but Malcolm Waller, on the little that we have seen of him, has taken the attack towards him and today Hamilton Masakadza was also aggressive and it worked out for him.” Waller top scored with 70 runs in the first innings in the first Test, reaping 25 runs from Ajmal, 20 coming from boundaries.
Yesterday, Waller made a run-a-ball 13 off Ajmal, punching three boundaries and a single before throwing his wicket away after being dismissed for 23 by Junaid Khan.
Veteran cricket statistician and writer John Ward concurs with Mujaid that Waller ‘s aggressive approach is paying dividends, a strategy which Masakadza adopted in his innings of 75. “He (Waller) just looked to dominate virtually from the start and refused to get tied down when he was going for his shots, he is always positive, he moves in and drives when playing his shots. It’s basically his approach and it is coming up well. Ajmal likes to have everyone pinned down and takes advantage of that, Hamilton took him apart today which was good to see,” said Ward.
Online Reporter