Abbottabad: Wily Pakistan off spinner Saeed Ajmal vowed yesterday to target West Indian swashbuckler Chris Gayle when the two sides meet in the Champions Trophy next month.
Pakistan is currently featuring in a tune-up camp in Abbottabad, where US forces killed Osama bin Laden two years ago, a hilly town hoping to match conditions in England where the eight-nation Trophy will be played from June 6-23. The 35-year-old Ajmal anchors Pakistan’s spin department in the tournament where they face the West Indies in their opening group B match at The Oval on June 7.
“The way Gayle has been playing it is amazing,” Ajmal told reporters. “We are looking at the videos of his batting because we have a match against them and hopefully we will have no problems.”
Pakistan will also face South Africa on June 10 and arch-rivals India on June 15 -- both at Birmingham.
Defending champions Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand feature in group A. Top two teams from each group will qualify for the semi-finals.
“Whether the batsman is a left-hander or right-hander, the ball is in our hand, the bat is in their hands. We have to bowl them out to go forward and we are going there with a positive mind. There are eight teams and, hopefully, we will win.”
Ajmal, who has 71 wickets -- the second best in all Twenty20 cricket behind countryman Umar Gul (72) -- hopes to perform in the English conditions.
“I have to work hard because batsmen hit hard from the word go so its important to bowl well and I am working hard on that,” said Ajmal. REUTERS
