Former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal has bowed out from cricket after his side Faisalabad’s defeat in the semi-finals of the National T20 Championship in Rawalpindi on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old off-spinner was accorded a guard of honour from both sets of team after the game which was won by the Lahore Whites.

The veteran spinner had earlier announced that the National T20 Cup was to be last as a player. Ajmal spoke about the desire to concentrate on his coaching assignments following his retirement.

“I will now concentrate on my assignments as a coach and on my cricket academy in Faisalabad,” he told media after the match.

The Pakistan man’s career had been littered with allegations about his bowling allegation being illegal but the spinner remained defiant in the wake of those.

He went on to play 35 Tests for his country, picking a total of 178 wickets at an average of just 28.10. Ajmal was even more lethal in the one-day format where he picked up 184 wickets in 113 games at an average of 22.72.

His last involvement for his country came in April, 2015 against Bangladesh in a T20I. Ajmal’s best performance for Pakistan came in their Test series win over England in 2012 where he picked up 24 wickets in the three matches including a career-best 7-55 in the first Test at Dubai.

The spinner remains proud of his achievements and career with the Pakistan national team.

“I am proud that I have represented Pakistan and contributed in my country’s wins,” he said on Wednesday.

Ajmal was named as the coach of Pakistan Super League (PSL) outfit Islamabad Lions earlier this year and will be now concentrating on that.