"If I played for India, I would have 1,000 wickets" - Saeed Ajmal says he was a bowler who took 100 wickets every year
Saeed Ajmal believes that he would have taken 1,000 wickets in international cricket if he was an Indian player.
Ajmal was the top bowler in world cricket in early 2010s. He even achieved the world number one position in the ICC ODI and T20I Rankings. However, his career derailed after the international cricket governing body banned him from bowling in 2014. The 45-year-old played his last ODI match for Pakistan in 2015.
During an appearance on the Nadir Ali podcast, Saeed Ajmal opined that if he were an Indian player who played under a powerful board like the BCCI, he would have bagged 1,000 wickets.
"I would have taken 1,000 wickets by now. To be honest, if I played for India, I would have 1,000 wickets. I was a bowler who took 100 wickets every year. Almost every year in my international career, I took 100 wickets," Ajmal said.
Showing some statistics from his playing days, Ajmal highlighted the difference between himself and others.
"From 2012 to 2014, I took 326 wickets. (James) Anderson was second with 186 wickets. See the difference - 326 and 186 wickets. Every year, more than 100 wickets," the former Pakistan off-spinner added.
"They should have stopped me in 2009 only" - Saeed Ajmal thinks some officials banned him because of his success
During the same show, Saeed Ajmal further opined that he was cleared to bowl with the same action when he debuted in 2009. In the next few years, he took 448 wickets and became the world number one bowler. In Ajmal's view, the ICC changed the bowling action rules and banned him because there was no other way to stop him.
"They should have stopped me in 2009 only. But they allowed me to play. After I got 448 wickets, they realized there needs to be a way to stop him, and so they did what they did. I was world number one bowler when I was banned from bowling," said Ajmal.
Ajmal concluded by saying that the Pakistan Cricket Board did not do what was needed to stop him from being banned in 2014. As a result, his international career came to an early end.