Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal celebrates after he dismissed Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene during the opening day of the second Test match between Sri Lanka and Pakistan at The Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on August 14, 2014.
© AFP
Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is not worried that the International Cricket Council has booked Saeed Ajmal for suspect bowling action. In recent years, Ajmal has been Pakistan's leading spinner with 174 wickets in 34 Test matches. (Also read: Mahela scores 4 as Pakistan dominate Day 1 of second Test)
Match officials reported Ajmal to the ICC for a suspect bowling action following the first Test defeat by Sri Lanka in Galle. Ajmal is however allowed to bowl until his bowling is scrutinized further.
The 36-year-old Ajmal was booked for the same offence in 2009 but was later cleared by the ICC. "As far as Saeed Ajmal is concerned it has been done before and that's not a worry for us," Misbah told reporters on the eve of the second Test in Colombo on Wednesday.
"He's been through this process before and I hope he will be fine. We will just concentrate on our game and look forward to playing good cricket and try to win this Test."
Pakistan's biggest problem against the Sri Lankans has been their sketchy form. Misbah is hoping for a better show in the Colombo Test which will be Mahela Jayawardene's farewell game. Pakistan lost in Galle by seven wickets.
"We played well in patches. On and off we performed well and we lacked consistency and could not win every session," the 40-year-old said. "We want to make sure in this Test it doesn't happen with our batting and back ourselves with good bowling and fielding. We have to improve in all departments."
The Pakistan bowlers struggled to bowl the hosts out in Galle but the captain backed his bowlers to come good.
"Their batsmen know these conditions very well. Players like Kumar Sangakkara, who is world class and in good form, when he gets set it will be very difficult for any team to handle their bowlers," said Misbah.
"These are the reasons why it's not easy to get these batsmen out in good batting conditions. We should not always blame our bowlers in good batting conditions, sometimes you play into the hands of the batsmen."
In Galle, Sangakkara scored his 10th double hundred in Sri Lanka's first innings to move second to Don Bradman in the all-time list of Test double centuries.
Misbah was also aware that getting the wicket of Jayawardene, who will play his final Test, would be crucial for his side.
"Everybody knows that he is a class player and in this particular ground he has scored so many runs and so many centuries. As a team we want to get him early," Misbah added.
"He's a kind of player who can be a dangerous customer. You just can't go on the records that he has not scored heavily against us. We have to be really focused on him."
(With agency inputs)
0 comments:
Post a Comment