Mohammad Kaif, former India cricketer, has courted controversy after he compared New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel to club bowlers in India. This came after India lost to New Zealand 0-3 in the recent Test series at home.
The series result was as surprising as India’s hitters’ troubles against Kiwi spinners, especially given that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and others are considered good spin players.
Despite Ajaz finishing the series with 15 wickets in three matches, 11 of which came at Wankhede, Mohammad Kaif refused to describe the New Zealand spinner as a great bowler.
Ajaz Patel continued his love affair with Wankhede Stadium, where he had taken all 10 wickets in an innings in a Test when New Zealand last toured India in 2021. This time, Patel picked 5 wickets in the first innings and 6 in the second to finish with 11 wickets in all.
This also meant that Ajaz Patel broke Ian Botham’s record of most wickets by an overseas bowler at Wankhede Stadium. Botham had taken 22 wickets in 2 Tests, but now Ajaz Patel has 25 wickets in just 2 Tests.
Mohammad Kaif ridicules Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips; says India batters lost to club level, part-time spinners
Meanwhile, former India batter Mohammad Kaif has made a significant statement following Team India’s disastrous performance against Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips in the third and final Test against New Zealand at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
Phillips took three vital wickets in the second innings in Mumbai. Kaif stated that bowlers like Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips can be found in every local club, but they are not high-quality spinners.
“Ajaz Patel didn’t bowl well. He delivered two full-toss, two short balls and two length delivers but still managed to take wickets.
Glenn Phillips is a part-timer and he doesn’t know how to bowl good deliveries. We lost to part-timers and not to quality spinners. Let people say that Ajaz Patel has taken 22 wickets at the Wankhede Stadium. He can’t even land the ball properly. Ajaz Patel bowled just two good deliveries in an over and got wickets. The defeat in the final Test is embarrassing. There was no bowler in New Zealand side in the Mumbai Test,” Mohammad Kaif told Nikhil Naz.
Kaif praised Mitchell Santner for his winning effort in the second match in Pune. He grabbed 13 wickets as the Tom Latham-led team defeated the opposition by 113 runs.
“Santner did bowl well. The bowling he produced in Pune was a classic Test match performance,” Kaif said, lauding the left-arm spinner.
"Ajaz Patel jaise spinner har local club mein mil jayenge" #INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/5yNOIb9KGN
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) November 4, 2024