Pak fans want PCB to boycott ICC awards over Ajmal’s exclusion

Pakistani cricket fans have flayed the International Cricket Council for excluding Ajmal from the awards shortlists.

Saeed Ajmal, who was the top wicket-taker in Tests for the qualifying period for the award (August 4th, 2011 to August 6th, 2012) was included in the ICC's Test Team of the Year, but not nominated for any other category of the annual awards.

Ajmal took 72 Test wickets during this time – including 24 at an average of 14.70 – as Pakistan swept aside England, then the top Test side, 3-0 in January, the Daily Times reports.

"The ICC is a biased institution. They are against Pakistan," said Amjad Khan, a university student. Khawaja Ahmad Ali, a lawyer, praised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for their stance on the matter, saying that they had strong reason to do so.

Samina Kushaf, who runs a gymnasium, said: "Although Ajmal is a glaring omission, Mohammad Hafeez should also have been considered for the Test Cricketer of the Year award. I think Hafeez has been hard done by. His performances over the last year should have given him a chance of getting into the final shortlist."

Shahjahan Latif, an engineer, said: "Pakistan should boycott the ICC awards to protest just like South Africa did in 2009 in Johannesburg after their cricketers were overlooked for awards."

Former Pakistan Test captain Rashid Latif has termed the exclusion of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal from the shortlist of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test Cricketer of the Year award as 'surprising'.

"Ajmal's exclusion from the shortlist is inexplicable given his stellar performances during the period under consideration. The ICC must examine the way nominees are chosen for the awards and how the top wicket-taker can be left out," Rashid told Daily Times on Wednesday.

Ajmal climbed to No. 3 in the ICC Test bowling rankings and is the highest ranked spinner.

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