Saeed Ajmal's Contract Suspended by Pakistan Cricket Board For Media Outburst

Pakistan Cricket Board came down heavily on Saeed Ajmal by suspending his contract and have asked him to explain his comments which he made on a television channel.

Pakistan Cricket Board suspended former spinner Saeed Ajmal's contract over television comments he made about the way bowlers with illegal action are dealt with. (Harbhajan Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin Are Chuckers, Fumes Saeed Ajmal)
The 38-year-old had been Pakistan's match-winner in the last five years until he was sidelined over his bowling action before being cleared in February.
Ajmal, who returned to international cricket in April after remodelling his action, claimed that Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin were chuckers, but never punished because "they belong to India."

Ajmal had also blasted the International Cricket Council's (ICC) process on the illegal action issue, claiming it singled out spinners like him. (Saeed Ajmal's Threat To Burn Cricket Gear Helps His Academy)
"Why just target the off-spinners?" Ajmal questioned on two channels last week. "Why not the left-arm spinners, leg-spinners or fast bowlers? (Saeed Ajmal Faces Disciplinary Action For Blasting ICC)
"I can tell you that I have been through this bowling assessment process so many times and have watched and studied this issue so closely that I can vouch that if tests were carried out, there would be many other bowlers whose bowling actions would exceed the 15 degrees extension limit," said Ajmal, singling out Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh as a suspect.
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan told reporters Ajmal's contract had been suspended.
"We feel sorry over his comments," Khan said. "We have taken the minimum action on the violation of discipline and have suspended his contract, stopped releasing his salary and have asked him to explain his comments."
Despite not being selected since April this year, Ajmal was retained in the "B" category in PCB central contracts.
Khan said Ajmal had been supported in his efforts to alter his bowling action.
"We supported him a lot, invited Saqlain (Mushtaq) to correct his action so his comments were sad that we did not support him," said Khan.
Ajmal had a formidable record of picking up 178 wickets from 35 Tests and 184 wickets from 113 ODI games, before his action was reported in August last year as suspect.
He was subsequently suspended a month later as his elbow was extending more than the 15 degrees tolerance limit allowed under the ICC rules.
Ajmal remodelled his action under former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq but managed just one wicket in the two one-day internationals and was wicketless in a Twenty20 -- both against Bangladesh in April.

Source-  http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/251654-pakistan-cricket-board-suspends-saeed-ajmal-s-contract-for-criticising-icc

Pakistan v England: Tourists lose series 2-0 in Sharjah

England subsided to a 127-run defeat in the third and final Test against Pakistan and a 2-0 series loss.

Resuming on 46-2 in pursuit of an unlikely 284, England lost four wickets for 11 runs in the first hour and were eventually bowled out for 156.

On a pitch turning sharply, only Alastair Cook resisted with 63 and was the ninth England wicket to fall.

Yasir Shah took 4-44 and Shoaib Malik 3-26 to give Pakistan's spinners a total of 17 wickets in the match.

In contrast, England's trio of slow bowlers returned combined figures of 7-423 from 115.2 overs.

England, who have lost seven of their past nine Test matches away to Pakistan, are without a series victory abroad for three years and slip from third to sixth in the world rankings.

Where it was lost

Though England were found wanting against the turning ball, they ultimately paid the price for errors over the first four days.

While they can rightly point to losing Ben Stokes through injury, England must also reflect on a first-innings collapse that saw their last six wickets fall for 78 runs.

Not only were England's spinners very poor in the second innings, but Mohammad Hafeez, who made 151, was afforded two dropped catches and a missed stumping.

Cook's men came some close to winning the first Test and were competitive for large parts of the series, but were defeated by batting collapses, fielding errors and inferior spin bowling.

England crumble to Pakistan class

If the suspicion was that England's Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Samit Patel failed to make the most of helpful conditions, it was confirmed by only the 10th ball of the day.

A Yasir short ball scuttled along the ground, leaving the helpless Joe Root plumb in front.

Zulfiqar Babar accounted for James Taylor and Patel, caught at slip and lbw respectively, either side of Jonny Bairstow's ugly sweep to Yasir.

England's numbers three to seven managed only eight runs between them - the fewest for 118 years. Going back to the fourth evening, the total collapse was six wickets for 25 runs.

Only Cook had the patience, technique and fortune to resist, looking set to become the first England player to bat through a completed innings since 1997.

But he was stumped when beaten by a Malik off-break and, in the next over, Stokes fell in similar fashion to Yasir to seal England's fate.

What next?

With former England opener Geoffrey Boycott saying that Cook's men have a "glaring hole at number two and number three", there is much to ponder before they face South Africa's fearsome pace attack.

Alex Hales looks to be next in line to open the batting, while a decision on Ian Bell must be made before the first of four Tests begins on 26 December.

Before that, nine of England's Test squad remain in the UAE for four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s against Pakistan.

Pakistan, now ranked second in the world, are not scheduled to play another Test until they travel to England for four matches next summer.

The stats

The total of eight runs managed between England's number three to number seven in their joint-lowest, equalling the Sydney Test against Australia in 1887
Stuart Broad was playing his 87th Test, all of them with Alastair Cook, but this was the first time they batted together; Sanath Jayasuriya and Muttiah Muralitharan played 90 Tests together for Sri Lanka without batting together
Cook scored 450 runs in the series at an average of 90 and Joe Root 287 at an average of 57; no other England batsman managed more than 158
Cook was stumped for only the third time in his Test career
Yasir Shah took 15 wickets in the series, more than any other bowler - despite not playing the first Test

Source-  http://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/34730059

Shoaib Malik Retires From Test cricket, Leaves Pakistan Cricket in Shock

Shoaib Malik played 35 Tests for Pakistan. The Test against England in Sharjah will be his last. He made a dramatic return last month after five years in exile

Shoaib Malik, who is currently playing the Sharjah Test against England, has decided to retire from the five-day format. The former Pakistan captain and all-rounder will continue to play limited overs cricket. (Shoaib Malik Hits Maiden Double Hundred)

Malik's sudden announcement on Tuesday to retire at the end of the Sharjah Test came as a surprise. He made a stunning return to Test cricket in Abu Dhabi last month. He scored a career-best 245 in Pakistan's first innings. Malik, who made a dramatic return after playing his last Test in Edgbaston in 2010, had replaced an injured Azhar Ali. He is playing his 35th Test. (Pakistan vs England Third Test: Scorecard)
Malik said it was "time to move on" during Day 3's play in Sharjah. After his fantastic double hundred, Malik's form nosedived sharply. On Tuesday, he was trapped LBW for 0, a big in-swinger from James Anderson doing all the damage. Malik hadn't got into double figures in his last four innings.
Inspired by wife Sania Mirza
The 33-year former Pakistan skipper has been in and out of the national side since making his Test debut against Bangladesh in Multan in August 2001. He had credited wife Sania Mirza for inspiring him to play for Pakistan again. Sania is currently the No. 1 player in women's doubles tennis. (Shoaib Malik Credits Wife Sania Mirza for inspired performance)
Malik has played 227 ODIs and with close to 6000 runs as a middle-order batsman, he remains among Pakistan's first choice all-rounders. Malik has taken 147 wickets with his off-spins and will now focus on the 2019 ICC World Cup in England.
"We have some good youngsters and now is the time to retire," Malik said in Sharjah. "Family comes first. I want to focus on the 2019 World Cup."

Malik had turned out for Delhi Daredevils in 2008, the only time Pakistan players turned out in the Indian Premier League. He should be in the Pakistan squad for the World T20 in India next year and the Asia Cup in Bangladesh before that.

Source-  http://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/news/251202-shoaib-malik-retires-from-test-cricket-leaves-pakistan-cricket-in-shock