Saeed Ajmal banned
September 9, 2014
Cricket's governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), said analysis of the position of Ajmal's bowling arm revealed "all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations." Normally, a bowler's arm in cricket needs to remain straight during his action. A bend in his arm of over 15 degrees is seen as giving the bowler an unfair advantage according to the laws of cricket - allowing them to generate extra pace and spin.
Ajmal's action was analyzed by an ICC-accredited team of biomechanic specialists at the National Cricket Centre facility in Brisbane, Australia in August. Ajmal was reported after the first test against Sri Lanka last month. He played in the second test but missed the first two one day internationals to carry out the tests in Australia.
Ajmal's suspension comes as a major blow to Pakistan's chances for next year's World Cup. The 36-year-old is currently ranked number one in the world for the one-day format, taking 183 wickets in 111 ODIs and 178 wickets in 35 tests.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif said Ajmal's suspension was a major setback for Pakistan as there's a lack of quality spin bowlers in reserve. "The sad part is that we haven't tried any other specialist off-spinner in international matches and now our World Cup plans are severely dented," Latif told news agency AP.
Latif said he doubted there will be enough time for Ajmal to moderate his bowling action, have new tests, and be cleared by the ICC before the start of the World Cup due to take place in Australia and New Zealand in February and March of next year.
According to ICC regulations, Ajmal can continue to play in domestic cricket under the supervision and consent of the home board and can apply for a re-assessment any time after he modifies his bowling action.
It was not the first time that Ajmal had been reported in international matches. He was previously cited in 2009 during a one-day series against Australia in Dubai but, back then, was cleared of any wrongdoing.
al/msh (AFP, AP)