Saeed Ajmal Accuses ICC Of Cheating For India: Former Pakistan Cricket Team spin bowler Saeed Ajmal has leveled serious accusations against the International Cricket Council (ICC), alleging the board of favoritism and cheating in favor of Sachin Tendulkar and India during the India vs Pakistan semi-final of the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Ajmal, who was once the top-ranked bowler in limited-overs cricket, retired from all forms of cricket in 2017 after years of battling with the ICC and the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) over a suspect action. And while his action was cleared, he could never make a national team return before his retirement.
But back in 2011, the off-spinner’s star was still on the rise. While he did not get a lot of game time during the competition, that was not the case in the semi-final. The biggest game of the tournament till that point, India would take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the PCA Stadium in Mohali in the semis.
India won the toss in that game and decided to bat first. After a quick start, Virender Sehwag would lose his wicket at the team score of 48. And while the India inning collapsed a little after Gambhir’s wicket, it would be Sachin Tendulkar who would lead the Men in Blue to a score of 260/9.
Tendulkar, who was the team’s leading run-scorer in the competition and playing his last World Cup, played a fantastic inning of 85 runs, stabilising the Indian inning and becoming the Player of the Match after the home side won the game by 29 runs.
Saeed Ajmal Accuses ICC Of Cheating For India
Saeed Ajmal, who was only playing his third game of the tournament, ended the game with the fine figures of 2/44 in 10 overs. In the 11th over, he trapped Sachin (playing at 23) in front of the stumps, and the umpire raised his finger for an LBW. But a DRS decision by the Master Blaster showed the ball ended up missing the stumps.
Not according to Ajmal, who in a recent interview suggested that the ICC played favourites and cheated while showing the DRS and the umpire’s decision should have stood.
“Sachin Tendulkar was saved by the International Cricket Council. They cut the last two frames to make the ball miss the leg stumps. Otherwise, he was out,” he said.
While this is a serious accusation, Saeed Ajmal clarified that his issue is with the ICC and not with Sachin, whom he called a gentleman of the game, saying,
“Sachin is a great cricketer and is honest and kind. He is one of the legends, and I called him sir, as he is worthy of that. I have played with him, and it was an honour for me. Getting his wicket gave me happiness. I will always remember this.”
On the very next ball following that LBW decision in the semi-final, Ajmal trapped Tendulkar once again, this time with a doosra. A stumping review by the third umpire showed that the Indian legend’s foot barely touched the ground when the bails were dislodged, yet another controversial decision.
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