Saeed Ajmal cleared by ICC

Saeed Ajmal cleared by ICC

The International Cricket Council have announced that Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal and Sohag Gazi of Bangladesh can bowl in international cricket once again after their actions were cleared following retests in Chennai.

Ajmal, one of the world’s top spinners, had his action reported after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in August while off-spinner Gazi was reported after an ODI against the West Indies, also in August.

The duo’s actions failed initial tests but, after remedial work, they were cleared to return following retests at the Sri Ramachandra University on 24 January.

Ajmal is a key member of the Pakistan one-day team but pulled out of their World Cup preliminary squad in December and the board said there was no chance of the 37-year-old featuring at the tournament, which starts on 14 February.

Pakistan begin their World Cup campaign against India in Adelaide on the 15th of February and Ajmal has now been cleared to bowl but no plans have been announced yet by the PCB to draft him into the squad.

Ajmal trained under former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq best known for pioneering the Doosra, over remodeling his action while Gazi trained under Bangladesh Spin Coach, former Sri Lankan cricket ruwan Kalpage.  

The ICC statement on the bowlers as follows:

“In advance of any retest, a player who has been banned from bowling in international cricket is required to identify the various types of deliveries he wants assessed, with a view to bowling those types of deliveries in international cricket, should they be tested as legal.

“At the retests, it was revealed that the amount of elbow extensions in both the off-spinners’ bowling actions for all their deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations for the review of bowlers reported with suspected illegal bowling actions.

“The umpires are still at liberty to report Saeed Ajmal and Sohag Gazi in the future, if they believe they are displaying a suspect action and not reproducing the legal actions from the retests.

“To assist the umpires they have been provided with images and video footage of the two bowlers’ significantly remodeled legal bowling ctions.”