Calcutta/Karachi: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has been forced to close his international cricket academy in his hometown Faisalabad after it received threats from extremist elements.

Ajmal said he had closed down his academy temporarily after he met with the deputy commissioner of Faisalabad and the vice-chancellor of Faisalabad Agriculture University, on whose land the academy is located.

“I was told that the Punjab government has sent advice to close down the academy temporarily because threats have been received against the academy that it may be attacked,” Ajmal, who could not make the final cut in the 15-man Pakistan squad for the upcoming World Cup, said on Wednesday.

“The administration had apprehensions and security concerns and said that it should be closed down until proper security arrangements are made to run it,” the off-spinner added.

Ajmal’s disappointment is quite obvious. It was on January 2, 2013, that Ajmal told The Telegraph that he was “really excited” about his academy.

“I didn’t want to take a risk with these youngsters and right now the government is helping us prepare a comprehensive security plan for the academy,” he said.

“It is disappointing to close down the academy in such conditions” he added.