(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)Ace spinner Saeed Ajmal will feature in Pakistan's T20 Championship next month in a bid to forge a comeback into the national side for the upcoming international assignments. Ajmal 37 was Pakistan's leading wicket taker in all three formats between 2009 and 2014 taking 178 Test 184 ODI and 85 T20 international wickets before he was suspended for an illegal bowling action in September last year.
Reliable sources close to the national selectors and team management said that at present Ajmal was not part of their plans for either the coming series against England or the planned one against India in the UAE. Ajmal who remodelled his bowling action to adhere to the permitted 15 degree flexion rule hasn't been the same bowler since making his comeback. "Despite his fantastic record on UAE pitches Ajmal is no longer the force he used to be after he changed his bowling action. "He doesn't seem to have that killer instinct that brought him so many wickets in all three formats" one source close to the selectors told PTI. Ajmal is due to return this week from England early next month to take part in the national T20 event but his performances for Hampshire have not raised the confidence of either the selectors or team management. "He has not performed consistently in any format. He has taken wickets but at expensive rates" the source said. Ajmal was forced to modify his bowling action last year after he was banned from bowling by the ICC after which he underwent remedial work on his action. He made a brief comeback to the Pakistan team on their tour to Bangladesh last April but picked up just one wicket from 22.3 overs across two ODIs and a T20I while conceding at 6.57 runs per over. He was subsequently left out of the side and went to England to play for Hampshire.
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