Cricket has always been an unpredictable game. You can't know what happens next. A team cruising to a grand total can crumble to a low score, or the lower order can rescue the team from a loss. It's the same when it comes to records.
Cricketing records have always surprised individuals and players associated with it. While the Pakistani legends have some exciting records to their name, some of them have unwanted records as well. One such legend with this record is Pakistani legend Saeed Ajmal, who has a slightly different record to his name.
Ajmal is a right-arm off-spin bowler who bats right-handed. At the domestic level in Pakistan, he represented Faisalabad. Ajmal made his One Day-International debut for Pakistan in July 2008 at the age of 30, and a year later played his first Test. He is among the most frightful modern-day off-spinner that the cricketing world has ever seen. He was the number one ODI bowler for nearly three years between 2011 to 2014. His variations were a key aspect that tricked many batters in the international arena.
Ajmal holds the record for fastest to 100 Test wickets by a Pakistani. He was considered among the most reliable bowlers, and the stats prove this. Hence, it might be hard to believe that the off-spinner has never won a player of the match award in his glorifying ODI career.
Ajmal played 113 ODI matches for Pakistan and scalped 184 wickets with an average of 22.72. He had an economy of 4.18 which is quite remarkable considering how modern-day cricket is played. The right-arm bowler ended his career with the best figures of 5/24. More surprisingly, even after claiming a five-wicket haul two times and a four-wicket haul on six instances, he was never crowned the Man of the match. Another shocking thing that adds to this unique record is he has been awarded Man of the series but never in history was adjudged man of the match
Apart from the exceptional records, he is also ranked third in the most wicket in a calendar year list. He achieved the feat in 2013 when he scalped 62 wickets in 33 matches. He was in the prime of his career before ICC suspended him from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect on 9 September 2014. He was banned over his bowling action. After three years, in November 2017, Ajmal announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Despite such a legendary career it's heartwarming to see his innings end on such a note. You never know he might have avoided this unwanted record if he had played further.
