Saeed Ajmal
A Pakistani spin wizard whose mysterious doosra baffled batters worldwide and briefly made him the top-ranked bowler in the game.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Pakistani cricketer·Birthday: October 14·Generation X
Biography
Saeed Ajmal's rise was a testament to late-blooming skill and relentless craft. He debuted for Pakistan in international cricket at 30, an age when many bowlers are contemplating retirement. But with a whippy, unorthodox action and a devastating doosra—the off-spinner's disguised delivery that turns the other way—he quickly became Pakistan's attack leader. At his peak, he was the number-one ranked ODI bowler in the world and a constant threat in all formats, piling up wickets with guile rather than pace. His career, however, became central to cricket's great technical debate: the legality of bowling actions. After being reported multiple times, his action was ultimately deemed illegal in 2014 following biomechanical testing. He remodeled his delivery and returned, but the magic was diminished. Ajmal's story remains one of spectacular, if contested, dominance that forced the sport to scrutinize its own laws.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Saeed was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Saeed Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Saeed's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the number-one ranked bowler in ODI cricket in 2012 and also topped the T20I bowling rankings.
- Took 178 wickets in just 35 Test matches for Pakistan, including eight five-wicket hauls.
- Was a key member of the Pakistan squad that won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2009.
Did You Know?
He worked as a biomedical technician in a hospital before his international cricket career took off.
Ajmal holds the record for the most wickets (85) by a bowler in a single calendar year in T20 internationals (2012).
He named his doosra delivery the 'teesra' (meaning 'the third one'), claiming it was a new, distinct variation.
“My doosra was my weapon, and I practiced it until it was perfect.”
