Ajmal preparing for two-month stint with Worcestershire

Karachi: Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal is preparing for a two-month stint with English county Worcestershire with the World Cup 2015 in mind as he believes bowlers now have to reinvent themselves to be successful in the limited overs formats.

"Cricket has changed a lot now and life is becoming increasingly difficult for the bowlers. Unless we reinvent ourselves in nearly every second match the batsmen will dominate us," Ajmal told PTI. The off-spinner who has taken 169 test and 182 ODI wickets besides being a force in T20 cricket, said that he was joining Worcestershire to prepare for the World Cup in 2015.

"Playing in England will help me a lot to try out new things and settle down to a consistent form as pitches in England neither in Australia offer much encouragement for spin bowlers," he said.

"Obviously I was not happy with my form in the recent World T20 and I think it is good I will have time in England to get over it and work on my bowling in good competitive conditions," he added. He pointed out that unless spin bowlers didn't work on their art regularly it was difficult for them to survive in international cricket. "There is always pressure on us now because batsmen have been given a free license to go on the attack from the start in T20 cricket and in 50 oers cricket the recent rule changes like having five fielders inside the circle has not made life easy for us" he said.

He pointed out that batsmen today are far more adventurous than in the past. "They are now playing shots that could not be imagined some years back so the bowlers are under pressure in formats now made for batsmen." "I think bowlers now have to have lot of variation and be unorthodox at times that is how quality spinners are doing well now. This stint with Worcestershire will be very helpful for me as I am keen to do well also in the World Cup."

The Pakistan Cricket Board on Friday issued a NOC to Ajmal to play for the English county but he has been to return by mid-July for Pakistan's tour to Sri Lanka. "Obviously even for me national duty comes first so I will be back in July to play for Pakistan but it will be a great experience bowling in English conditions," he stated.