Gaji
Pakistan spinner, Saeed Ajmal, predict tough times for England in the ODIs against India, saying they won't be able to repeat their home series heroics.
England is riding high after beating India comprehensiely in the Test series and also drubbing them in the ODIs.
"England has improved a lot and is a top side, but I consider the seaming conditions in England helped them a lot and India went into the series unsuspecting. But when England go to India, they are going to face a different Indian side and I think they will lose the series," Ajmal said in an interview.
"In India, the pitches will be slow and dusty and will assist the spinners and India will plan so and try to avenge their disgrace in England," Ajmal said.
The Pakistani spinner, one of the top spinners in the world today, said in current times, the job of a spinner has become very hard.
"To not only stay alive but also do well as a spinner these days, I think it is important to be able to do well in all three formats and lots of difference in your bowling is the key to success," he said.
Ajmal, who turn 34 this month, said that he became a better player after the World T20 Cup semi-final, where Mike Hussey thrashes him badly in a important final over.
He said: "I cried after that match, to be honest, and then I went back and looked at my game again. I worked hard on my fitness and lost around eight kilograms to improve my fitness. I also worked a lot on my variations."
Ajmal said he had learnt that a top spinner has to have the ability to bowl with different variations in all three formats of the sport.
"Today, I bowl the 'Doosra', which is my stock weapon, in three dissimilar variations. But now I am also relying a lot on the established off-break ball."
"To me, Test cricket remains the ultimate challenge as you can plan and bowl long spells. But at the same time, since T20 cricket is so popular, I have developed different variation for the same and I am enjoying success now."
Ajmal said he admire England off-spinner, Graeme Swann, and has learnt many things after watching him bowl.
"Swann is a good example of how a top-spinner can perform well by using variations in all three formats of the game. I have watched him bowl closely and he bowls the off-break in three dissimilar actions and leaves the batsmen guessing."
The Pakistani off-spinner, who made a late entry into the Pakistan team at the age of 32, has taken 56 Test, 63 one-day and 45 T20 wickets to become the country's top spinner in the last one year, particularly after the forced postponement of leg-spinner Danish Kaneria from the Test side.
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