Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to honor Saeed Ajmal with its own award. Legendary off spinner was dropped from all categories of ICC awards. PCB protested over his exclusion but could not convince ICC. Legendary Imran Khan also expressed his displeasure over his exclusion. To keep the morale of their star play high PCB has announced to confer upon him a special award.
“Ajmal is the world’s best bowler and we congratulate him and when he comes back home after the World Twenty20 we will give him an award of our own for being the number one bowler in the world,” said PCB Chairman Zaka Ashraf.
Exclusion of Saeed Ajmal from shortlist of ICC awards incited outrage in Pakistan. Many of the former players urged PCB to boycott the award ceremony. ICC awards ceremony will take place in Colombo on September 15.
Saeed Ajmal is ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in all three different formats of the game.
Chairman PCB also did not rule out the possibility of a boycott.
“The PCB hasn’t decided as yet on a boycott of the awards ceremony. That would be an extreme step but we are under tremendous pressure to do so,” said Ashraf.
“The matter was even taken up in parliament in Pakistan, there’s a big debate going on and I don’t know what the decision’s going to be on that and we had a few demonstrations against that as well,” said Ashraf.
Although Saeed Ajmal will not be part of contestants but Pakistan still has chance to bring home at least two awards. Mohammad Hafeez and Aleem Dar are still in line of contestants and bear good chances of winning.
If Aleem Dar wins ICC umpire of the year Award it will be fourth straight win for him. Exclusion of Saeed Ajmal has highlighted anomalies in ICC shortlisting system. We may hope that ICC will work to sort them out.
