Pakistan v England: will reveal “teesra” after the ODI series says Saeed Ajmal – Cricket News Update
Saeed Ajmal, the right-arm off-spinner who played a key role in Pakistan’s three nil win over England in the Tests series, has promised to reveal his mystery delivery, the “teesra” after the end of the ODI series. The series kicks-off from Monday, Feburay
13, with the first match being played at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.
A conventional off-spinner usually bowls deliveries that spin back into right-handers with the mystery delivery “doosra” holding its line and on some occasions spinning away. Ajmal, however, claims to have developed a “teesra”.
Till date it is not clear what exactly a “teesra” does, or whether such a delivery even exists, but Ajmal maintains that he sparingly used it in the Test series with the batsmen having little knowledge of what to do with it.
Terming “teesra” as an important weapon in his bowling arsenal, Ajmal said, “I used the "teesra" sparingly in the series and I don't think anyone has been able to spot it as yet and that makes it more dangerous. I will reveal which is the "teesra" delivery
after the (one-day) series is over. Until then it remains a challenge for everyone to identify this ball in the coming one-dayers.”
Pakistan dominated England in the Test series and it was the spinners who created havoc on the English batters. Spinners claimed 48 victims out of the 60 wickets that the Pakistani bowlers took in the series. Ajmal (24) and his spin partner Abdur Rehman
(19) shared 43 of those wickets.
Speaking highly of his bowling partner, Ajmal said, “It felt good bowling in tandem with Rehman. There was less pressure on me. Our captain had planned out everything in detail like which bowler will bowl to which batsmen and so on and it worked beautifully.”
Pakistan and England are scheduled to play four ODI matches. Both sides have finalised the squad that will take part in the series.
The Men in Green have stuck with the winning combination, while replacing ODI specialist Shahid Afridi with Taufeeq Umar. England has dropped Ian Bell while Tim Bresnan makes a return into the side after missing the Test series due to an injury.
Pakistan ODI squad: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Farhat, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal (wk), Junaid Khan, Umar Gul, Aizaz Cheema, Saeed Ajmal, Abdur Rehman, Wahab Riaz, Hammad Azam, Azhar
Ali
England ODI squad: Alastair Cook (capt), James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Ravi Bopara, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Jade Dernbach, Steven Finn, Craig Kieswetter (wk), Eoin Morgan, Samit Patel, Kevin Pietersen,
Graeme Swann, Jonathan Trott