SAEED AJMAL ran riot among the English batsmen taking 10 wickets during the first Test match, when they played against England at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan won the game by 10 wickets. After his superb performance, some former English players questioned about his action and it was later taken by the British media, making his action an excuse for their embarrassing display. Wasim Akram, who does not mince his words , was annoyed with the way the British media has gone about things related to his action and claims it to be a pressure tactics, reported PTI.

Ajmal is not new to the controversy related to his bowling actions, as he had been reported for suspect action in Australia too, but he was given a go ahead by the ICC. After the ICC has given him the much needed clearance, there is no point of breaking sweat about his action. The English, on the other hand need to check upon the way they play spin bowling.

The British media may be saying that Ajmal’s bowling action is faulty and hence forth. Ok, let’s agree on this point for some time and ask their media, where were they when he was bowling with the same action while playing in the domestic circuit for Worcestershire. They had no objection related to it, but when they saw that the English batsmen were not able to read his variety, they felt it would be a well planned pressure, which might break the bowler’s rhythm during the rest of the series. Will they be successful?

In the past too, there have been bowlers who were in trouble with their suspect bowling action, such as Muralitharan and Harbhajan Singh. It is normally the finger spinners, who are always, prey to it. But, a finger spinner, who does not take wickets, will never come into criticism, unless they start taking wickets.

It is a generally believed fact that ‘reverse swing’ in bowling, we know now is a term, coined by English only after they started producing it. Before that Pakistan bowlers like Wasim and Akram, who were its pioneers, among others were blamed of ball-tempering.