PROFILE

Ajmal had burst onto the international stage in 2010. He was part of England’s 2010/11 Ashes winning squad (although he didn’t take the field) and excited at the ICC World Cup, particularly when he sweetly struck his first ball for a straight six against India to see England to a tie. 

A lot was expected of Ajmal in 2011, probably most keenly by himself, but it became largely a season of frustration. 30 wickets at 37.20 and 320 runs at 22.85 was a decent haul, but one that Ajmal would have been disappointed with as he pushed for Yorkshire wins and further England calls. There were times when he showed what he was capable of – his 5-61 against Hampshire at Headingley was Shahzad at his best and his CB40 59 not out from 34 balls against Middlesex at Headingley was truly explosive. 10 wickets in the CB40 and 9 in the FPt20 was below par for a genuine all-rounder who will undergo an ankle operation during the winter, surgery which unfortunately meant he pulled out of the 2011/12 England Performance Programme.

2010 had been a difficult season for Ajmal, on the fringes of the England side and subsequently playing only 9 first-class matches. Continuity and full fitness were hard to come by. His 34 first-class wickets at 29.79 were important to Yorkshire skipper Andrew Gale, but just 238 runs at 26.44 was disappointing for a player with the quality and desire to be a genuine all-rounder. He took six wickets in 6 CB40 appearances and two wickets in just 3 FPt20 outings meaning that Yorkshire did not see the best of Ajmal in the one-day arena.

Ajmal’s early years were hampered by injury, despite his undoubted promise, until an injury free season in 2009 and the progression of Tim Bresnan to England duties allowed an unhindered stint in the Yorkshire 1st Team. He took 40 wickets and scored 445 runs in the late middle order. His performances gained him a call-up to the England performance squad in South Africa squad, where he impressed national coach Andy Flower.

Blessed with genuine pace and with the ability to swing the ball into batsmen at yorker-length he became Yorkshire’s second leading wicket-taker in 2009 with 40 Championship dismissals. His batting also added real strength to the lower middle order and he ended up with 445 Championship runs at an average of 40.45, including a career-best 88 in the remarkable victory at Hove, where he also claimed four wickets with the new ball.

Ajmal was included in the England squad for their one-day and Test tour of Bangladesh. In the preamble to that tour he made his full England debut in a Twenty20 match against Pakistan in Dubai claiming two wickets in his first over. He later made his ODI début against Bangladesh, again taking a wicket in his first over. He made his Test debut in the 2nd Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford in 2010. Despite scoring only 5 runs and enduring an expensive start with the ball he returned for a second spell and took 3 wickets in 3 overs, underlining his immense potential.

He first hit the headlines in 2004 when he was selected for the totesport League game against Worcestershire at Headingley Carnegie, so becoming the first Yorkshire-born Asian to play for the county’s 1st Team. Ajmal, at the time, attended Woodhouse Grove School where he was coached by Graham Roope, the former Surrey and England all-rounder.

JAMES BUTTLER
January 2012