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ICC suspends Saeed Ajmal over illegal bowling action
- Spinner judged to bowl with too straight an arm
- News comes before Test and ODI series against Australia
- Andy Bull: latest ‘chucking’ clampdown may be last
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Saeed Ajmal has been suspended from bowling for Pakistan after the International Cricket Council ruled his action is illegal.
It has been deemed by the ICC that the 36-year-old spinner straightened his arm by more than 15 degrees in all of his deliveries while he was being tested in Brisbane.
The ban is a severe blow for Pakistan, who begin a series against Australia next month. Ajmal has taken 178 Test wickets at an average of 28.10. In one-day internationals he has 183 wickets at 22.18.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has intimated that it intends to appeal against the suspension, with its chairman Shaharyar Khan calling the development a “big blow”.
“We don’t know the exact details but Saeed has the option of also working on his action and taking fresh tests when he is ready,” Khan said.
“What we know is that the ICC has recently changed its protocol on testing bowlers with suspect actions and other bowlers have also been reported. We could appeal in two weeks’ time.”
“We don’t know the exact details but Saeed has the option of also working on his action and taking fresh tests when he is ready,” Khan said.
“What we know is that the ICC has recently changed its protocol on testing bowlers with suspect actions and other bowlers have also been reported. We could appeal in two weeks’ time.”
A statement from the ICC said: “The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent analysis has found the bowling action of Pakistan’s off-spinner Saeed Ajmal to be illegal and, as such, the player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.
“The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.”
Ajmal was reported for his action in 2009 while bowling the doosra during the one-day international series against Australia but was cleared by the ICC after tests.
However, there was to be no reprieve this time around for the world’s No1 ranked bowler in one-day internationals.
He was once again reported by the match officials during Pakistan’s seven-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle last month.
Ajmal, Worcestershire’s overseas player earlier this season, underwent testing on August 25 by the ICC’s accredited team of human movement specialists using the National Cricket Centre, who ruled his action was illegal.
The ICC’s decision means Ajmal is immediately unavailable to bowl in international cricket and the ban will remain until he modifies his action before he can apply for a reassessment.
He is the third cricketer to receive an international bowling ban for an illegal action in recent months, with New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake suspended in July.
It is particularly damaging to Pakistan as Ajmal has been a star performer for them in all three formats.
Ajmal, who took five for 166 in the first innings against Sri Lanka in Galle, has played 35 Tests, 111 ODIs and 63 T20 internationals for Pakistan, taking 446 wickets in all three formats.
He finished his spell with Worcestershire with 63 wickets in nine County Championship Division Two matches.
That is still the leading mark in either division this season, while the England all-rounder Moeen Ali has spoken in glowing terms of how Ajmal helped his bowling while they were at New Road together. Ajmal also played for the county in 2011.
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