Ravi Ashwin was intentionally kept away from cricket for some time to avoid being banned by ICC, feels Saeed Ajmal

If there is one cricketer who is constantly in news for giving feedback or suggestions, then it has got to be Ravi Ashwin.  India’s premier spinner was first targeted by Sanjay Manjrekar who said he is not yet ‘an all-time great player’ while the topic is still burning, another one, this time, from former Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has come. The 43-year-old told that Ashwin was deliberately kept away from the game during that period.

Ajmal had a history of always getting called out by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for his action being illegal during his time with the Pakistan team from 2008 to 2015. Ashwin made his international debut in 2010, one year later to Ajmal, and has been a constant member of the Indian team. Ajmal though felt something was not right and has stated his displeasure.

“You changed all these rules and regulations without asking anyone. I was playing cricket for the last eight years. All those rules were for me. That’s it. During that period, Ashwin was out from cricket for six months. Why is that? So you can work on him and your bowler doesn’t get banned. They don’t care if a Pakistan bowler gets banned. They only care about money,” Ajmal told as quoted by Cricwick.

Saeed Ajmal on Sachin Tendulkar being out before the DRS felt it otherwise

When the 43-year-old was quizzed to speak on the semi-final match between India and Pakistan during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 in which Ajmal managed to get Sachin Tendulkar’s wicket before the DRS came to rescue and the decision was overturned. The legendary cricketer scored 78 and helped India enter the finals.

“The umpire who gave Tendulkar out, he would be ready to give the statement that he got it right. And the meaning is pretty clear. The DRS can be checked manually. You can alter it any stage. I don’t know about that but even if I see it now and any umpire sees that, he will think that this will go on to hit the stumps. But that missed the stumps. Thousands of people have questioned me this, and I don’t know the answer.”