Worcestershire Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes has thanks Saeed Ajmal for his contribution to the club despite a difficult season in LV = County Championship cricket and said: "We appreciate everything he has done for us."
Ajmal said an emotional farewell to Rhodes and his New Road team-mates after his third spell with the club came to an end after the home encounter with Sussex and flew back home today to Pakistan.
The spinner finished as Worcestershire's leading wicket-taker in the NatWest T20 Blast with 21 in 12 matches and was always willing to pass on his vast experience to a young squad with whom he was a popular figure.
It was in red-ball cricket that he was unable to reproduce his previous form after remodelling his action but his overall impact will always be fondly remembered.
Rhodes said: "We had a small emotional moment with Saeed after the Sussex game and I spoke to him and thanked him on behalf of the team for all his efforts this year.
"It has been really tough for him in four day cricket and he understands that and that has been tough for the team as well.
"But no-one has tried harder than Saeed. He is a bubbly personality that has never let things get to him.
"He is full of experience and passed on his knowledge as much as he could to the boys.
"We are very grateful for all his efforts and the way he has conducted himself in very tough circumstances.
"He has had to come off the back of a very tough period in his cricketing life and things like this season in four-day cricket haven't worked out as well as he or we would have liked.
"But that is not through the lack of effort and we appreciate everything he has done for us."
Rhodes said: "Do I ever see him coming back to Worcestershire? Who knows, I'll never say never because you are a fool to do that. We will see what passes under the bridge for this period.
"He has got his own season to get stuck into in the winter to see how he performs and we will keep a very close eye on that."
Ajmal has been awarded a 'B' category central contract by the Pakistan Cricket Board for the 2015-2016 campaign.
