Spin Jadugar Saeed Ajmal banned from bowling

In a huge blow to Pakistan, offspinner Saeed Ajmalhas been banned from bowling in international cricket by the ICC after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries. Ajmal, who has been Pakistan's lead spinner in all formats in recent years, was reported after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month.

The decision to ban him was taken after an ICC accredited team of bio-mechanics experts tested his action at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. Ajmal can apply to the ICC for a re-assessment at any time after modifying his action.

"An independent analysis has found the bowling action of Pakistan's offspinner Saeed Ajmal to be illegal and, as such, the player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect," the ICC said. "The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations."

Ajmal, however, was hopeful that a medical condition - the natural bend in his arm because of an accident - would work in his favour when the appeal is made to the ICC's bowling review group.

"I am positive about this and not worried because I believe I can make the World Cup," Ajmal told reporters in Faisalabad. "They are yet to consider my medical reports and once they do it I am sure there shouldn't be any problem. If one has a medical problem then what can he do? So I am 100% positive and hoping for the best."

Ajmal is the No. 1 ranked bowler in the ICC ODI rankings and is among the top ten in Tests and Twenty20 internationals. He his the highest wicket-taker across formats in the last three years.

This was the second instance of Ajmal being reported for a suspect action. In April 2009, the bowler had been reported while bowling the doosra, and was cleared the following month.

The issue of suspect bowling actions had come up during the ICC cricket committee meeting in June, where there was a general consensus among members that the current methods used to detect illegal actions were imperfect. It had recommended changes to help match officials get more support from biomechanists in order to identify illegal actions with "more confidence".

In the last few months, Sri Lanka offspinner Sachithra Senanayake and New Zealand's Kane Williamson were reported and subsequently banned from bowling due to illegal bowling actions.

Recent drive against faulty actions

• August 2014 - Sohag Gazi reported, to be tested in Cardiff
• August 2014 - Prosper Utseya reported, to undergo testing
• August 2014 - Saeed Ajmal reported, banned in September
• July 2014 - Kane Williamson banned after tests found his action illegal
• July 2014 - Sachithra Senanayake banned, undergoes remedial work
• December 2013 - Shane Shillingford suspended from bowling, cleared in March 2014; Marlon Samuels prohibited from bowling quicker deliveries
• October 2013 - Johan Botha cleared by Cricket Australia after being reported during a domestic match
• May 2013 - ECB suspends Glenn Querl, Jack Taylor from bowling
• April 2013 - CA bars seamer Cameron Gannon

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Ref: http://www.espncricinfo.com/pakistan/content/current/story/779257.html

Finger of suspicion on Saeed Ajmal's ACTION as his elbow bend comes under scrutiny

Saeed Ajmal took a career-best seven for 55 against England in the first Test but the Pakistan off spinner’s bowling action has once again come under scrutiny with suggestions that he bends his elbow more than the permissible limit of 15 degrees.

Ajmal was the wrecker-in-chief for Pakistan as he helped his team bundle out England for 192 in their first innings in Dubai on Tuesday. However, former England captain Bob Willis claimed that the off-spinner was illegally bending his arm.

Willis claimed that while Ajmal’s stock delivery doesn’t raise a doubt, it is the doosra — the delivery that turns away from the righthanded batsmen — which is questionable. 

'The problem I have is with the doosra,' said Willis while commentating for Sky Sports. 'Why do all these bowlers bowl with their sleeves buttoned around their wrists? Why aren’t they wearing shortsleeved shirts? The answer is clear. They are bending their elbows.

'The authorities are now allowing these mystery spinners, unorthodox off-spinners, to bend their elbows to a degree. If they are going to be allowed to do this, England should be saying, "Shouldn’t we be teaching our young spinners to bowl like that as well?"'

Slow motion replays suggested Ajmal bent his arm by as much as 35 degrees, 20 more than the legal limit, for at least one delivery on Tuesday but he was unrepentant afterwards.

Ajmal was reported over his doosra three years ago but was later cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

The off-spinner, meanwhile, remains defiant. 'I am just focusing on my bowling. It’s the responsibility of the umpires and the referee to decide whether there is any problem with my action. I have no issue with anyone raising this. I have bowled all round the world, including in county cricket, without any problem,' said Ajmal.

'They did it to Saqlain Mushtaq. They are doing it with me now. Australia questioned my action (in 2009) but I see no problem with it.'

Pakistan cricket fraternity however, reacted in anger over questions being raised about Ajmal’s action, but former captain Rashid Latif admitted that some doubt is understandable.

The former wicket-keeper batsman said that the off-spinner’s action could come under the ICC scanner and after a proper video analysis it appears that in some instances, Ajmal’s bending of the arm could be reviewed.

'If you look closely at his action while bowling some deliveries it appears to me the match officials could report his action and I think the Pakistan team management and board should be prepared for this,' Latif was quoted as saying by PTI.

'I don’t want to discourage him or demean our team’s brilliant performance on the first day of the Test but it would be a good move on part of the team management and players to sit down and analyse themselves and be prepared for the worst,' added the former-Pakistan wicket-keeper.

Former Test bowlers Saqlain and Tauseef Ahmed advised Ajmal not to get  distracted by the issues raised in the England camp. 

Paul Hurrion, ICC head biomechanics analyst, said that although the closest possible environment is created so that a bowler can replicate what it is like during an actual match, there is no 100 per cent surety whether the technology is fool proof.

Ref:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2088694/Finger-suspicion-Saeed-Ajmals-ACTION-elbow-bend-comes-scrutiny.html