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Neymar would be Manchester United's best player if he was to join the club in the summer transfer window, presenter Terry Flewers has claimed.

What's the latest on Neymar and Man United?

The Brazil superstar looks set to depart Paris Saint-Germain this summer, and the 31-year-old has been linked with a move to the Premier League, with Newcastle and Man United two possible destinations.

Neymar has suffered with a lot of injury problems over the years, but has still provided 18 goals and 17 assists in 29 outings across all competitions this season.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Flewers claimed that Neymar would be the best player at United as soon as he walked through the door, in terms of ability and status, but injuries may be of some concern.

"Ability, yes. Output, yes. The name, the man, the magic the skills, I want Neymar at Manchester United for all of these reasons," he stated.

"He would be the best player at the club by a country mile as soon as he arrives, whether he plays on the left instead of Rashford, whether he plays in a kind of 10, off the striker role instead of Bruno Fernandes, if he plays on the right instead of Antony or Sancho, this guy is better than all of them."

"The injury problems though, that's my worry. The injury situation surrounding Neymar is my only concern around him."

Should United pursue Neymar?

United are in the market for a forward, and have reportedly made Harry Kane their top target.

Neymar is a wide attacker rather than a central striker, but should he arrive, Rashford could move to a striker role to accommodate the 31-year-old.

His injury problems, combined with his £941k-per-week wages, means that Neymar looks more like he could follow the route of other big names who arrived and failed at Old Trafford, such as Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and Bastian Schweinsteiger, but if he can stay fit, he could help raise United's level.

Erik ten Hag's side have made good progress this season, winning the Carabao Cup and securing a third-placed finish, but someone with Neymar's quality and experience could help turn them into title challengers.

Wingers Antony and Jadon Sancho have scored a combined 15 goals in all competitions, less than Neymar alone, and the Brazilian would be a significant upgrade on both in terms of end product.

If the finances on any deal for Neymar are reasonable, then the Red Devils could benefit in the short term, by having an attacker with Neymar's quality in the squad, even if he isn't available for the whole season.

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Fully recovered from the back troubles that have kept him out of international cricket for ten months, James Neesham wants to return to his original carefree ways with the bat

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Sep-2016James Neesham’s last Test match, in Brisbane last November, wasn’t the happiest of experiences. Having just come back into the New Zealand side after being deemed to have recovered fully from a stress fracture, he continued experiencing discomfort in his back while bowling, and was ruled out of the remainder of the series. Now, close to a year later, Neesham is back in the Test squad, and says he is back to full fitness, after a summer spent in England, playing limited-overs cricket for Derbyshire.”The main result for me [from the Derbyshire stint] was I got through the whole season uninjured and basically had no issues with the back at all,” Neesham said, after New Zealand’s squad arrived in India. “So I suppose the aim now is to get the loading up again and make them good enough for Test cricket.”Neesham said he had worked specifically, while in England, on getting back to cricket-fitness.”It was more tweaking little things,” he said. “We did a lot of work on the rehab prior to the Australian series last year, and were pretty comprehensive on that side of things, but I think over in Derby it was more about, I suppose, finding what works and what doesn’t, and changing up especially the gym programme a little bit – basically making cricket the number-one priority as opposed to regaining the strength base and fitness base, which it was before Australia.”Since the start of his international career, Neesham felt his game, particularly his batting, had become less carefree, and ahead of the Tests against India, he hoped to return to playing his natural game.”I’m basically looking to go back to how I played when I first came in to international cricket,” he said. “I think I was a bit more carefree and a bit more, I suppose, , especially with batting, and then once you start feeling the pressure of international cricket and wanting results and wanting runs, it can curb your game a little bit, which I think is one of the traps I fell into.”So I’m just looking to go back to playing my natural game. It’s a bit of a cliché, but hopefully runs and wickets will flow from there.”Though he has visited India previously, Neesham is touring the country with the Test side for the first time. He hoped he could feed off some of the more experienced members of the squad such as Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.”I’ve had an A tour, Champions League, and then IPL, so I’ve had three tours over here now, and you learn something new every time you come over,” he said. “And there are obviously guys in the team that have come over here a lot more times than I have, so I’ve been looking to glean some knowledge off guys like Ross and Kane, especially about playing spin and playing their spinners in particular, but I think, as I said before, if you play your natural game and have some clear plans about how you’re going to go about scoring runs, then that should hold you in good stead.”

West Indies and Jamaica Tallawahs allrounder Andre Russell has made his first public comments since being charged by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission with committing an “anti-doping whereabouts” violation earlier this year

Peter Della Penna in Florida26-Jul-2016West Indies and Jamaica Tallawahs allrounder Andre Russell has made his first public comments since being charged by the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) with committing an “anti-doping whereabouts” violation earlier this year for having allegedly missed three drug tests in a 12-month period. Three missed tests trigger a failed drug test ruling under anti-doping regulations.Preparing for Tallawahs’ final two games of the league stage of the Caribbean Premier League, in Lauderhill, Florida, Russell was asked what it had been like to play with the uncertainty of the JADCO tribunal process hanging over his head. Russell replied by describing the mental strain he has gone through since reports first surfaced in March that he was facing a two-year ban.”It’s not easy, honestly, it’s tough,” Russell said. “When I cross the rope, I definitely block it off my head but then when you go back to your room and you know you have to face reality and know that something is going on like that, it’s kind of stressing and depressing. But I have an amazing bunch of guys around me. So they keep me occupied, they keep me laughing. I just think that is a very good thing to do while going through something like that.”Everything is in place. My lawyers are doing whatever they have to do so I don’t really want to have to talk about it that much.”Russell avoided questions about last week’s independent panel hearing, offering a “no comment” when asked about the most recent events. According to , Russell’s lawyer Patrick Forster claimed at the hearing of an independent panel on July 20 that his client had received correspondence from JADCO for only twice – January to March, 2015 and July to September, 2015 – for allegedly missing the out-of-competition doping tests.In the mean time, Russell said he was focused on helping the first-place Tallawahs secure a second CPL title, after first winning it in 2013. Tallawahs round out their league stage by playing St Lucia Zouks twice, on July 30 and 31. Heading into the playoffs, a win in either game will clinch first place for Tallawahs, giving them two chances to reach the final.”This is what we live for, to be on top of the table,” Russell said. “We still have a few games to go. We’re still not going to take anything for granted. We’re going to try and play our best cricket so we can be in form going into the crucial games.”

Chelsea have held a “strong interview” with Luis Enrique regarding their managerial vacancy, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

What's the latest manager news at Chelsea?

Premier League owner Todd Boehly gave Graham Potter his marching orders earlier this month and soon after appointed Frank Lampard as interim boss until the end of the season whilst he continues the search for a new long-term successor behind-the-scenes.

The Spaniard was most recently in charge of his homeland’s international team and was quickly identified as an ideal candidate by the hierarchy in SW6, alongside Bayern Munich’s former boss Julian Nagelsmann.

Fabrizio Romano has since revealed that the 52-year-old travelled to the capital for face-to-face talks last week and claimed that he would be keen to take the job, and there has now been an update on the board’s stance.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips claimed that Chelsea view Nagelsmann as the current leading candidate but were mightily impressed by what they saw from Enrique. He said:

“Enrique was always seen as more of a backup to Nagelsmann and it seems that Chelsea will prefer to wait it out on him at the moment, rather than go straight in with Enrique. That doesn't mean to say that Chelsea won't turn to Enrique down the line. He's still a very strong candidate for the Chelsea role on a permanent basis this summer. But right now Chelsea have been trying to get Nagelsmann and when they saw they can't get him, they've gone to Lampard. Enrique certainly had a strong interview, so I wouldn't be surprised if Chelsea do decide to go for him in the summer."

Would Enrique be an ideal candidate for Chelsea?

Enrique is a hugely experienced manager having taken charge of 431 games throughout his career and considering his level of success, he would be the perfect candidate to take over the reins at Chelsea ahead of the 2023/24 term.

The Gijon native has won 253, drawn 89 and lost just 89 of his matches since the start of his career in the dugout whilst averaging 1.97 points per match, via Transfermarkt. The 4-3-3 attack-minded coach also knows what it takes to compete at the highest level for silverware having secured ten trophies, including World’s Best Club Coach and Manager of the Year, which shows that he constantly gets the individual recognition he deserves for the job he does.

Finally, Enrique being a free agent on the market right now means that the Blues wouldn't have to pay any compensation to secure his services so the hierarchy need to capitalise on the fact that he wants to take the job by getting him in the building over the summer.

Arsenal were rocked by the news this week that Takehiro Tomiyasu will miss the rest of the season, in what is undoubtedly a blow to Mikel Arteta's hopes of bringing the Premier League title to the Emirates.

The Japan international's time at Arsenal has sadly been an injury-prone and inconsistent one but the Spanish manager could ditch the right-back for academy talent Brooke Norton-Cuffy next season.

Who is Brooke Norton-Cuffy?

Having progressed through Arsenal's academy, Norton-Cuffy would sign his first professional deal at the age of just 17, having made his debut for the U23s at the age of just 16.

With 36 appearances for the academy under his belt, the talented right-back would get his first taste of senior football on loan with Lincoln City last season and caught the eye with the Imps, making 17 appearances in League One, contributing one goal and one assist.

BBC Radio Lincoln’s commentator Rob Makepeace was full of praise for the youngster's ability, attitude and potential when speaking to Football.London last summer, saying: “He’s got everything there for him, he’s got a good head on his shoulders which is always a good attribute to have as a young footballer, he’s got the ability, the skill and the physicality to cope and it will just be about getting games under his belt next season.

"I think he’s got all the attributes to make it to the top, it’s just about getting the game time and you never know what will happen in his career.

"For Brooke, I think it’s going to be a crucial couple of years, but I think he’s one of those players who has got a really good chance of making it.”

Arsenal certainly felt he was ready for the step-up, and he joined Rotherham in the first half of the Championship season, before being recalled and sent back out on loan, this time to playoff-chasing Coventry City.

Still just 19, the right-back now has 51 senior appearances to his name in League One and the Championship, which suggests that little will stand in his way when it comes to making it in the Premier League with Arsenal in the future.

Considering Tomiyasu's injury problems, as well as the impressive form of Ben White, the latter has managed just six starts in the Premier League so far this campaign. Thus, Arteta could be looking to get rid of the former Bologna man in the near future, certainly if he continues to prove an unreliable option in his defence.

Fortunately, the Spaniard looks to have the ideal long-term replacement in Norton-Cuffy, as in his time at Rotherham, he averaged more aerials won, more tackles and more shots per game than Tomiyasu has in the Premier League this season.

Gregg Berhalter has explained why the USMNT are “not panicking” when it comes to Gio Reyna and his bench duty at Nottingham Forest.

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Left Dortmund in winter transfer windowTaken on new challenge in the Premier LeagueBusy year ahead for the United StatesWHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old playmaker is still considered to be one of the hottest prospects in world football, with injuries having prevented him from unlocking full potential. A move to England in the winter transfer window was supposed to provide him with an opportunity to catch the eye in the Premier League.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Reyna has been restricted to just 29 minutes of game time since leaving Borussia Dortmund on a short-term loan, leading to questions being asked of whether he will be ready for a busy 2024 with his country that includes the CONCACAF Nations League finals, Copa America and Olympic Games in Paris.

WHAT BERHALTER SAID ABOUT REYNA

United States head coach Berhalter is not overly concerned by Reyna’s lack of game time at Forest, telling : “I think it’s important to realise that Gio is still a young player, still finding himself, still finding who he is as a player. Every player on our team has gone through times when they are not thriving or it’s not going the best way for them. For Gio, it’s no different. We’re not panicking. We know he has a ton of talent. We know that he can be a game-changer and we’re looking forward to the day when he’s in the team each and every week and really starting to thrive and grow. We know how much quality he has and what a good player he is.”

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There has never been any doubting Reyna’s natural ability, but Berhalter is eager to point out that players of his ilk require more than that in order to reach the very top. He added: “With a growth mindset, people change and people can improve. I don’t think it’s just about talent. You need the whole package if you want to be at a top, top level. There is a big difference between being at a good level and the absolute top. At the absolute top, you need the whole package – I’m talking about a handful of clubs across the globe, top five leagues, Champions League teams, that’s a really high level. You need everything. Soccer is so competitive, they are playing all over the world, so talent isn’t going to separate you from everybody else.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made some questionable signings over the years, with some talents proving to be big hits, and others being quickly forgettable.

This summer sparked change to the familiar squad at Molineux, with players needing to be offloaded and sold in order to balance the books with reference to the Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions in place.

Players such as club captain Ruben Neves and last summer’s blockbuster signing Matheus Nunes were sold to generate funds during the break, with the two sales accumulating £100m – £47m and £53m respectively.

While it was pivotal that business was efficient during the break due to tight financial pressures, transfers haven’t always been as smart for Wolves, as visible in the current members of the squad. Goncalo Guedes is one of the primary examples.

How much did Wolves sign Goncalo Guedes for?

Signed last summer from Valencia, winger Guedes made the £27.5m move to Molineux to join a host of Portuguese talent already in the Midlands.

At the time of his arrival, chairman Jeff Shi described the player as being “well suited to the Premier League”, insisting that the club had “been patient” to ensure they got the “right player."

Just over a year down the line and the 26-year-old has made only 18 appearances for the Old Gold, scoring on two occasions during his time associated with the club so far. It's safe to say that Fosun and Co picked the wrong player here.

What happened to Goncalo Guedes?

Earning £90k-per-week, Shi’s claims that the winger was ready to play in the Premier League proved to be false, with the former La Liga forward wasting his time at Wolves away.

Signed in August 2022, Guedes was shipped on loan to Benfica by January, and is yet to make another appearance for the side with his future looking to be far away from Molineux.

Former manager Julen Lopetegui explained that the £27.5m man was “not happy” at Wolves after his loan move to the Eagles, as he returned to the Lisbon-based club this summer on a season-long loan spell.

After just 18 appearances, it would be assumed that the attacker’s time is over in the Premier League, with him failing to adapt and wanting away from England as he continues to seek sanctuary in Portugal.

Journalist Nathan Judah didn’t hold back on his opinion of the winger, saying he has “zero interest in rotten apples” following his second loan move to Benfica last month.

While the disappointment of the transfer is understandable considering the price paid to obtain his services just a year ago, the 26-year-old was poor in Portugal, scoring just once in the league during his half-season loan with the Eagles.

Wolves have dodged a bullet by loaning the dud, however considering their recent financial problems, the money spent to sign the want-away has proven to be a complete waste of funds.

It’s likely that the Old Gold will permanently offload the forward in the near future as Gary O’Neil continues to build his favoured squad, although his dip in form will be damaging to the Midlands side, who are unlikely to make a profit in the instance of his sale.

As per CIES Football Observatory, the Portuguese international is valued at €20m (£17m), showing a dip of almost £10m in relation to the price the Premier League side paid for him just last year.

There remains hope that the 26-year-old can rediscover his form in Portugal to bolster his value, however, circumstances won't change the fact that the market move was a low for Wolves.

Aiden Markram led a spirited batting performance with a masterful 143, but Mitchell Starc’s 4 for 74 left Australia on the verge of a series lead

The Report by Brydon Coverdale04-Mar-20182:47

Holding: Markram will get better and better

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsBad light stopped them one wicket from victory, but Australia will win the Test on the fifth day at Kingsmead. However, South Africa found a new hero as Aiden Markram created genuine hope from what had seemed a hopeless cause. Set 417 to win, which would have been the second-highest successful chase in Test history, South Africa first collapsed to 49 for 4, and a quick finish seemed all but assured. Instead, Markram fought, counter-attacked, and together with Quinton de Kock took South Africa to within 134 of their target with five wickets in hand. And then it all fell apart.Mitchell Marsh, who had not taken a Test wicket since November 2016, made the breakthrough when Markram tried to glide him past Tim Paine, only to have his thin edge brilliantly snapped up by the wicketkeeper. Thus ended a 147-run partnership between Markram and de Kock, and Australia sensed the chance to run through the tail. Mitchell Starc did just that. He had Vernon Philander caught behind, before his pace and accuracy rattled the stumps of Keshav Maharaj and Kagiso Rabada for ducks from consecutive deliveries.But Starc was denied the chance to push for his hat-trick, for the Rabada wicket came from the final ball of an over, and in the meantime the light had deteriorated such that the umpires would only keep the players on the field if Australia bowled spin from both ends. Nathan Lyon and Steven Smith bowled in tandem for nine overs but could not find the final wicket Australia needed, and when the umpires finally decided the light was insufficient even for spin bowling, South Africa were 293 for 9, with de Kock on 81, Morne Morkel yet to score, and their nominal target still 124 runs away.AFPFor Australia, it was a shame the result could not be finalised before stumps. For South Africa, it was a shame that all the hard work put in by Markram and de Kock would come to nothing. And for the coffers of Cricket South Africa, it was a shame they would have to fork out to open the stadium on the fifth day for what could be as little as one ball. Perhaps only one man will be truly happy to come back – Starc, who at length will get the opportunity to bowl for his hat-trick.The morning had started with Australia on 213 for 9 and the last pair, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, added 14 before Cummins chopped on to give Maharaj his ninth wicket of the match. The target of 417 was thus confirmed, just one run short of the all-time highest successful chase in Test history, the 418 achieved by West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2003. More relevant to South Africa, given that AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla played key roles in it, was the 414 South Africa had chased down to beat Australia in Perth in 2008.But with every early wicket – and there were a lot of them – South Africa’s chances of pulling off another miracle dwindled. Dean Elgar was caught behind off Starc for 9, Amla was lbw to Hazlewood for 8, and Faf du Plessis was bowled through the gate by Cummins for 4. In the meantime came the wicket that rather summed up South Africa’s struggle, when Markram pushed Lyon to square leg and took a couple of steps before sending back AB de Villiers, who had over-committed and was comprehensively run out for a duck at the non-striker’s end.But all along, Markram looked solid. He found allies, first Theunis de Bruyn in an 87-run partnership, and then de Kock. De Bruyn drove well and frustrated the Australians such that Starc was expending just as much energy on his verbal barrage to de Bruyn as he was his bowling. At one point, Starc was so mouthy that he risked missing the next Test through laryngitis, but de Bruyn eventually fell for 36 to a thin edge behind off Hazlewood.Meanwhile, Markram just kept batting. Fittingly for a man whose surname is a palindrome, the results were the same whether Markram played forward or back. He drove handsomely through the covers off front and back foot, and scored runs all around the ground, striking 19 fours on the way to the third century of his short Test career. And, not to disparage the Bangladesh and Zimbabwe oppositions he scored the first two against, this was clearly the innings that will make his name as a Test cricketer.He brought up his century from his 171st delivery with a very risky single pushed to mid-on – a direct hit would have had him run out for 99 – and he went on to finish with 143, the highest fourth-innings score by any batsman in a Test in South Africa since 1995, when Mike Atherton’s unbeaten 185 helped England play out a draw at the Wanderers. Barring a day of heavy rain, which has not been forecast, there will be no such result this time for Markram.The importance of de Kock’s innings should not be forgotten, either. He walked to the crease having not passed fifty in his previous 15 Test innings, but played his natural game and took the attack up to the Australians. His partnership with Markram rattled along at more than four runs an over, and his half-century came from 68 deliveries. De Kock struck 11 fours, but trudged off in the evening gloom knowing that a century was only marginally more likely than South Africa avoiding defeat.

Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur was given a rough reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in Pakistan cricket after seeing his side slump to a 5-0 ODI series defeat in New Zealand. The whitewash was just the third 5-0 loss in Pakistan’s history, and the first since 2010. Speaking after the game, he said he refused to use the conditions as an excuse, instead laying the responsibility at the feet of the top order.”They’ve got the ability and without wanting to look for excuses, they need to get better in these conditions,” Arthur said. “Our guys need to step up, that’s the bottom line. Our top order haven’t done a job for us in the series and that’s a pity. Haris Sohail coming in gave us some stability, and he showed us how to apply oneself in these conditions.”Pakistan’s struggles against the new ball in seaming conditions have been brutally exposed this series, with Trent Boult and Tim Southee running riot in the first Powerplay. Pakistan lost their first two wickets for under 20 runs in all five matches. They found themselves reduced to 54 for 5, 39 for 3, 32 for 8, 11 for 2, and 57 for 5 at the starts of the five matches, meaning they found themselves playing catch-up for the best part of their innings all series. With the World Cup now less than 18 months away, Arthur said the side may need to reevaluate their approach.”With the World Cup coming up in a year’s time, it’s important now that the next one-day team we play is a team that we really believe can shake the World Cup up. It’s not discrediting to the players in the dressing room because they have tried exceptionally hard, but we do need to reassess where we go to make sure we get it right next time when we come out, particularly in foreign conditions.”At the same time, he defended the players that were part of the tour, lauding the way young players had stood up whenever given the chance, and warning against writing off players who, just six months ago, won the Champions Trophy.”Every time we bring young boys in, they stand up. They have done it, they have done it under pressure. They did it at the Champions Trophy for us. When Fakhar Zaman walked in, he changed the tempo in the Champions Trophy, playing fearless cricket. Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, these are the guys who’d do anything for you. When we play in our own conditions, we dominate because our guys are comfortable and they play very well there. This is like playing on the north pole for them. It’s so different but we got to be better at that.”But our blue print that we had was good enough to win us the Champions Trophy, it was good enough to win nine ODIs in a row. But we haven’t played well enough here, and that’s a fact. Our guys have come out of playing a lot of T20 leagues. I am not making excuses, that’s just the way it is. We haven’t adapted well and haven’t played well enough. But the blue print for us still remains the same, but obviously personnel changes could happen.”Arthur also said New Zealand deserved credit for the way they had played, and that playing against them would be difficult in any conditions. Kane Williamson’s men have enjoyed a purple patch of late, impressing in a series defeat in India last year, before going on a run at home that has seen them notch up a record number of consecutive wins. They currently have a 100 per cent winning record this home season, winning two Tests, three ODIs and two T20Is against the West Indies before the 5-0 against Pakistan.”They are very good team. I am incredibly impressed with how they are playing and I have watched them over the period of time. Every team right now in their conditions is a very good team. But you are judged how you play away from home, and I watched them in India, and New Zealand played exceptionally well outside. They seem to have covered all the bases.”

The 40-year old offspinner did not have an extravagant farewell. He walked off the field after his final T20 match in Pakistan, waving to a nearly empty Rawalpindi Stadium

Umar Farooq in Rawalpindi29-Nov-20170:43

What’s Ajmal’s favourite cricketing memory?

With tears in his eyes, a slight tremble in his voice but with nothing to regret, Saeed Ajmal officially brought the curtains down on his international and domestic career, after Faisalabad exited the National T20 Cup following their semi-final loss to Lahore Whites in Rawalpindi.The farewell was not too extravagant: he walked off the field after the match, waving to a nearly empty Rawalpindi Stadium. However, players from both Lahore Whites and Faisalabad gave him a final guard of honour as he left the ground. The PCB, too, arranged for a press conference, which had “Thank you Saeed Ajmal” across its backdrop. Ajmal walked into the packed conference room, with every news channel’s reporters in anticipation, as the nation saw the Pakistan offspinner – via live feed – battle hard to keep from tearing up.”It’s been 25 years…my love for cricket…so when you retire you do get emotional,” Ajmal said, after taking a moment to gather his thoughts. “I am retiring with a heavy heart, but I am satisfied with my career. Although I am retiring from international and domestic cricket, I want to stay in touch with cricket through my cricket academy and want to contribute for the country.”Ajmal, however, did not completely rule out the possibility of playing in T20 leagues elsewhere. “I want to remain available for foreign T20 leagues, other than the PSL, and want to continue to play the format. But for now I have accepted Islamabad United’s offer to be their spin-bowling coach. I think now is the right time to go away. I am 40 years old and I think I am now considered as baggage in domestic teams. So I don’t want to lose respect here. I want to leave with my head held high and it’s time for the youngsters to come in and take my place.”Ajmal, who was captaining Faisalabad in the National T20 Cup, finished his final innings with figures of 1 for 13 in four overs. That, however, did not bring an end to his player duties right away. After the match, PCB conducted a dope test with him, the results of which are due only after a week.Nine years ago, he had made his international debut, when he was chosen by chief selector Salahuddin Salu for the 2008 Asia Cup. Back then, Ajmal was considered one of Pakistan’s best spinners, and was soon one of the world’s most successful bowlers. He ended his Test career with 178 wickets in 35 Tests at an average of 28.10. His form swelled under the captaincy of Misbah-ul-Haq, when he took 141 wickets in only 26 Tests, including the 24 wickets against England in the UAE in 2011-12, when Pakistan won 3-0.The scorecard paid a tribute to Saeed Ajmal•Khurrum Amin / PCB

But for all of Ajmal’s successes until 2014, his career was dented due to his bowling action. He was reported for an illegal action twice in his international career and it brought the potency of his doosra – a delivery he used to devastating effect – under a cloud. He was later cleared to bowl by the ICC, albeit with the doosra still outside the limit, but the remodeled action came with a dip in form. He was eventually discarded from the Test team, with his last foreign tour coming against Bangladesh in 2015. Two ODIs and a T20I later, Ajmal faded away.Ajmal, however, has often been sensitive to criticism on his bowling action, including lashing out at the ICC over their 15-degree flex rule. “I feel only 10% of all bowlers would be able to stay within the limits defined by the ICC protocols,” Ajmal said. “I always felt ICC has been hard on Pakistan and PCB never did enough for the bowlers. Doosra is a regular delivery and it’s purely legal.”I don’t know why there is a false perception about its legality,” he said. “It’s a routine thing and if a bowler works on it it can be done easily. Not every fast bowler can bowl the reverse swing. Similarly, doosra isn’t for everyone. You have to work really hard to master it, and rejecting it is outrageously harsh. It should be encouraged as it was one of the finest deliveries by an offspinner.”Whatever I have done in my career, I am absolutely happy and proud. I came into the national team after the age of 30 and have done great things for Pakistan. What I have done, many take over 20 years to achieve. Therefore I have achieved everything in my career, but I wish my last match could have been in international cricket. However, I am still happy and thank you to every single person who has supported me through my ups and downs.”Since Ajmal’s exit from the national team, Pakistan had been struggling to find even one promising offspinner, but have never looked back after legspinner Yasir Shah took over the spin-bowling reins. Selectors, however, are still on the look out to find Pakistan’s next big offspinner, but haven’t found one yet.”PCB needs to think seriously about it,” Ajmal said on the lack of quality offspinners in Pakistan. “We are never short of talent and I believe we will never face a drought. We do have offspinners in the system, and they need to be developed, but I am afraid offspinners are being discouraged. They [PCB] should plan to bring offspinners back into the cycle and keep this system alive. We have great offspinners and historically, spinners have done a lot for Pakistan.”