Ajmal says elbow 'not usual', PCB to appeal against suspension

Karachi: Top-ranked Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was suspended indefinitely from international cricket for an illegal bowling action Tuesday but he vowed to return in time for next year's World Cup.

The world's leading one-day international bowler blamed the International Cricket Council (ICC) ruling on his "not usual" right elbow and said he would appeal.

Ajmal, speaking to reporters in his home city of Faisalabad shortly after the announcement, shrugged off the ICC announcement as "not an issue."

But the ban could cause serious problems for Pakistan, firstly in their upcoming series with Australia and also in the World Cup, which they won in 1992.

It comes as part of a crackdown on illegal bowling actions -- where the arm is bent more than 15 degrees -- in international cricket by the ICC.

"My elbow is not usual so that's why it seems that I bend it more than normal 15 degree allowed," said Ajmal, who was cleared on medical grounds when his action was first reported in 2009.

"We will go into appeal soon... I will be in action in the World Cup next year, that's my resolve," he added.

The ICC earlier said Ajmal, 36, had been suspended with immediate effect following tests by specialists carried out at Australia's National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

Ajmal was reported for a suspect action after last month's first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. He can apply for a re-assessment once he has modified his action.

"The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations," the ICC said in a statement.

Ajmal is Pakistan's key bowler, with 178 wickets in 35 Tests and 183 in 111 ODIs. He is also the leading wicket-taker in all Twenty20 matches with 85 in 63 matches.

He will now undergo remedial work on his bowling action in the Western Australian University at Perth, where human movement expert Daryl Foster will work on his action.

The ICC said Ajmal can be tested again once the remedial work report is satisfactory. Even if he is cleared, he faces a ban of 12 months if he is reported again within two years.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it was a "big jolt" to lose a player with a total of more than 350 Test and one-day wickets.

"It's a big jolt for us. It's not easy to replace a player like Ajmal who is a match-winner, and we will appeal against the ICC decision," said a PCB spokesman.

Ajmal became the seventh Pakistani to be reported for a suspect action, joining Shabbir Ahmed, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahid Afridi, Riaz Afridi and Shoaib Malik.

The West Indies' Shane Shillingford was also banned for a year after his action was reported twice in 2013.

The ICC has recently come down hard on suspect actions after its cricket committee decided no bowler should be allowed to play at international level without remedial work.

In July this year Sri Lanka's Sachitra Senanayake and New Zealand's Kane Williamson were also reported and subsequently banned until they improved their action.

Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya and Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi were also reported for suspect action last month. All the bowlers reported this year have been off-spinners.

Ajmal, who turns 37 next month, started his career as late as 2008 after being spotted in Pakistani domestic cricket.

His action was first reported in 2009 over his "doosra," an off-spinner's stock delivery which turns away from the batsman.

In 2012, after taking 24 wickets as Pakistan thrashed England 3-0, Ajmal caused uproar by saying the ICC had given his action special dispensation -- a claim denied by the world governing body.

Pakistan have summoned off-spinner Atif Maqbool, a prolific wicket-taker at domestic level, as a replacement for Ajmal.

PCB to appeal against Ajmal's suspension:

Stung by the suspension of Saeed Ajmal for an illegal bowling action, the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday said it would appeal against the ICC’s decision.

“The ban on Ajmal is a big blow to Pakistan cricket and we will appeal against the decision,” PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan said in an instant reaction to the news of the ban.

Read: ICC bans Saeed Ajmal due to 'illegal' bowling action

PCB bigwigs and the national team manager and chief selector Moin Khan went into a emergency meeting at the Gaddafi stadium to chalk out a future strategy.

“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,” he noted.

Pakistan’s former captain, Rashid Latif said he was expecting a suspension on Ajmal, all of whose deliveries were found to be illegal.

“The ICC has come down hard on bowlers with even minor issues in their action and it appears things have changed from the past when leniency was shown by match officials and umpires,” he said.

Latif said Ajmal has no option but to work on modifying his action and going for a fresh test before the World Cup.

“The domestic cricket season is also starting soon so he has the platform to work on his action.”

A senior board official told PTI that the board had already made up its mind to have experts work on Ajmal’s action and hope he passes the ICC tests before the World Cup.

Ajmal, the top spinner in world cricket for the last three years, is not the first Pakistani bowler to be reported for a suspect bowling action as before him Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed, Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik have all been reported as well.

But Ajmal is the first Pakistani bowler under the new ICC protocols to be banned from bowling in  international cricket.

He was reported during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle last month.

Pakistan’s former chief selector and coach, Mohsin Khan said he was disappointed by the ban on Saeed Ajmal.

“He is a big asset for us and the PCB should now use all its resources to get him back into international cricket. I know no player is indispensable but if he is not available for the World Cup it will badly hit our chances of doing well there,” Mohsin said.