Saeed Ajmal speaks to PakPassion about his experience of the Sri Lankan Premier League, the upcoming series against Australia and preparations for the T20 World Cup.

 

by Shayan Siddiqui (25th August, 2012)

Amongst the plethora of regional T20 cricket leagues now making their appearance on the calendar, the Sri Lankan Premier League (SLPL) has a special significance. Touted as a worthy local rival to the well-established Indian Premier League (IPL), the inaugural edition of the Sri Lanka-based tournament is now reaching its halfway stage and seems to be living up to its billing as one that showcases top quality competition from one of the best pools of talent in the region.

With outstanding local Sri Lankan talent, standing shoulder to shoulder with literally the “who’s who” of Asian cricket, the SLPL seems well on its way to achieving its goal of providing entertainment of the highest order whilst allowing domestic Sri Lankan players to experience the intricacies and pressures of an international level competition.

Top international cricketers such as Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Mohammed Hafeez and Saeed Ajmal are all high achievers for their respective national teams and those attending the games in Colombo and Pallekelle may well consider themselves blessed to see these stars lock horns in a local setting. It is, thus, no surprise that fans and players alike are waxing lyrical about what the SLPL has achieved in its short life so far.

Arguably the best spinner in the world at the moment and one of the most successful players in the SLPL, Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal spoke to Pakpassion.Net about his experiences in this tournament – offering his thoughts on the quality of the competition, as well as on the upcoming international series between Pakistan and Australia in the UAE which is followed by the ICC World T20.

As a key member of the Kandurata Warriors team, Ajmal has performed well in friendly conditions, taking 5 wickets in 5 matches at 26.20 apiece, at an economy rate of 7.27. A relative newcomer to the international T20 league type format, Ajmal was understandably elated at the idea of playing at the SLPL and recognised the importance of such a competition for the local cricketers as well.

“It has been an excellent experience playing in a major league tournament alongside some well known International players and almost equally talented local youngsters. As you know, I haven’t played league cricket like this before – the only one was the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) so I am really enjoying this experience and I thank the organisers for their hard work and hospitality – this is really a fantastic tournament.”

With the Kandurata Warriors currently placed second in the points table, having won 3 of their first 5 games and with the top 4 teams progressing to the next stage of the tournament, Ajmal’s side looks all set for a semi-final spot. This is a fact that Ajmal is very pleased about and feels that his team is improving with every game stating that “In the beginning, our team had a slow start but now we have started winning games and spirits are high in the team and there is a belief that we will go all the way.”

With the SLPL drawing to a close in a week's time, the thoughts of the Pakistani cricketers will turn to their next assignment, 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is against the mighty Australians in the UAE. Many in the Australian camp, including the Australian Cricketers' Association (ACA) have expressed their reservations about playing in the heat at this time of the year, however, Ajmal does not expect this to affect the Pakistani players who he feels should be accustomed to such conditions. “I really don’t think the weather will be a problem for us, as we are also used to the heat in Pakistan and since the playing times have been adjusted to avoid the sun, it will be a small worry for us.”

The Australian line-up is packed with dangerous ODI batsmen, and the likes of Michael Clarke, David Warner, Matthew Wade and the Hussey brothers should enjoy the batting friendly pitches in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. This would pose a very real threat to any bowling attack in the world. Saeed Ajmal, while recognising this challenge feels that the Pakistani bowlers should look no further than the basics of “line, length and control” when planning to deal with the Australian batsmen.

“It is obviously a big series just before the World Cup but I will be concentrating on what I do best - so I have no special plans or secret deliveries for the Australians and as a team, we will simply bowl with control and play to the best of our abilities and win this all-important home series.”

One distinct advantage of playing in the SLPL for Pakistani players will be that of playing at venues which will be used for the ICC World T20 to be held in just one month’s time in Sri Lanka. Playing in these conditions has been a valuable experience for the Pakistani players, and although the opposition they will face there will be much tougher, this stint should hold them in good stead when the ICC's premier tournament comes around.

“It may not be an international level tournament but make no mistake, it’s a tough competition. The quality and intensity of opposition is as strong as one would expect. It’s also a great opportunity to practise ahead of the T20 World Cup, especially as we will be used to the conditions here and as a strike bowler for Pakistan, I will need to be on top of my game,” remarked Ajmal. “I have really enjoyed bowling to the batsmen in SLPL – sometimes you get issues with dew at night but overall, I haven’t had any problems and it’s been a good challenge to bowl here.”