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Banned Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has vowed to fight the ICC ban that has deemed his bowling action illegal, a result of tests carried out at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.
Much like Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan before him, Ajmal has claimed his elbow is “not usual” and will fight the ban.
Ajmal dismissed the tests of his action as “not an issue” when speaking to reporters in his home town of Faisalabad.
“My elbow is not usual so that’s why it seems that I bend it more than the normal 15 degrees allowed. We will go into appeal soon,” Ajmal said.
“I will be in action in the World Cup next year, that’s my resolve.”
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.
Under the ICC rules a suspended bowler can appeal within 15 days but can risk a ban of six to 12 months in case the appeal is turned down.
“PCB is contemplating its future course of action, weighing all options, after Ajmal was suspended,” said a PCB release late on Tuesday.
“It’s unfortunate and the timing is sad,” said head coach Waqar Younis. “Ajmal is mentally very strong and I am sure he will come back after correcting his action.
Earlier, former captain and match-fixing whistleblower Rashid Latif that the omission of Ajmal from the Pakistan squad would completely ruin their chances of success in their upcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand.
“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 AP.
“(Pakistan) bowling is finished without Ajmal.
“I had doubts for the last few months … because the way he bowls, it’s hard to get away with it in Test matches.”
Ajmal was reported after last month’s first Test against Sri Lanka.
He has taken 183 wickets in 111 one-day internationals and 178 wickets in 35 Tests.
The 36-year-old is the world’s top-ranked one-day bowler.
The spinner was also cleared after being reported for a suspect action in 2009.
“The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations,” the ICC said in a statement.
Under ICC rules, Ajmal can keep playing domestic cricket during his suspension and can apply for a reassessment at any time – provided he has modified his action.
The ICC has also banned Sri Lanka offspinner Sachithra Senanayake and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson in the last few months for their bowling actions.
Pakistan’s matches against Australia start with a T20 match on October 5 in Dubai.
They then play three one dayers and two Tests in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
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