Saeed Ajmal, England's chief tormentor in their recent Test cricket series whitewash by Pakistan has been teaching Worcestershire off-spinner Moeen Ali the art of bowling doosra. Ajmal began coaching Ali last summer during a short stint as Worcestershire's overseas player and has found time between taking 24 wickets in three Tests against England to continue advising his protege how to perfect the delivery, off-spinner's equivalent of the googly.
Ajmal is scheduled to rejoin Worcestershire for Friends Life T20 in June, though his return to New Road is in doubt because Pakistan have pencilled in a tour to Sri Lanka. In Ajmal's absence Ali will be Worcestershire's front-line spinner. "Moeen had been playing with it [the doosra] before Saeed arrived but Saeed certainly helped him in advising the way his action might have to change to bowl it and that's what he did," said Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes.
Ali, who had a spell playing first-class cricket in Sri Lanka earlier this year, bowled his doosra in nets in Abu Dhabi while England Lions were preparing for their recent one-day match against England.
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.