Pakistan offspinner Saeed Ajmal, banned from bowling in international cricket for an illegal bowling action, has targeted the 2015 World Cup for his return. Ajmal, who was banned in September, has since been going through remedial work on his action with former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, and says has made good progress.
In an interview with Pakpassion.net, Ajmal said he was confident his action will be cleared before the quadrennial event in Australia and New Zealand. “I’m targeting a comeback at the World Cup,” he said. “All this effort with Saqlain Mushtaq and the work at Lahore and Loughborough is with the World Cup in mind and I’m hopeful and confident that my bowling action will be cleared ahead of this showpiece event.
“However, if I don’t make the World Cup then my prayers and well-wishes will be with my Pakistani team-mates. The Pakistan cricket team isn’t just about me and it’s not about individuals. If I’m not there in Australia and New Zealand my support will be with the Pakistan team and I’ll be cheering them on loudly.”
Ajmal has been undergoing work on his bowling action at the ICC’s testing centre in Loughborough, where biomechanist Dr Mark King has given him positive feedback. “I’m very pleased with the assessment of Dr King. I was expecting a reduction to about 30 degrees but to see that some deliveries are down to 20 degrees is fantastic and positive news for me. Also, what is really encouraging is that most of my deliveries are now within the 15-degree limit. The ICC’s rules of course stipulate that all deliveries have to be under 15 degrees and I’m very confident that I will achieve that target with the help of Saqlain Mushtaq and all the other individuals who are helping me and guiding me.”
“It’s just the doosra which is over 15 degrees now,” Ajmal said. “All of my other deliveries are under the 15-degree limit. I’m working hard on adjusting the doosra to ensure that it is also under 15 degrees and I’m confident that I will manage to do that. The problem which I have is that my arm is bent and that is a disadvantage for me when I bowl.”
There has been an increase in the reporting of offspinners for illegal bowling actions, but Ajmal, who was first reported in 2009, said the same body had deemed his action legal five years ago.
“The frustrating thing is that I was tested in 2009, tested again earlier this year and have had private tests on my bowling action recently. Every single one of those tests has produced different results,” he said. “There is just no consistency at all in these tests and the subsequent reports. If there was consistency then I would know where I stand. I work on rectifying one issue and then in the next report something different is pointed out to me.”
Ajmal believes most bowlers in international cricket would fail the 15-degree rule and it was too strict to apply on offspinners in particular. “I think 99% of bowlers these days would fail the 15-degree test for at least one or more of their deliveries. I also think that the technology being used in match situations to assess bowling actions is too strict. I think they should use the normal television cameras to assess our bowling actions, but instead what is being used are cameras that can virtually see the blood running though our bodies.”
“There’s a lot of pressure on offspinners these days but the rules and scrutiny should not just apply to offspinners. I would urge umpires and the authorities to look at the actions of pace bowlers also and not ignore what some fast bowlers are getting away with at the moment.”
Ajmal, however, doesn’t think the recent spate of offspinners being reported will result in the end of the doosra, which was first used by Saqlain. “No, I don’t believe that will be the case,” he said. “The doosra is an art and a weapon to use against batsmen. When I am back playing international cricket, I will bowl the doosra with the same venom that I always have done. The doosra is part of my repertoire and a delivery that I intend to continue bowling in future.”
Ajmal said he was “frustrated” at being out of the Pakistan side but was glad to see them put up good performances in the recent Test series against Australia and New Zealand in the UAE. “It’s been brilliant to watch Yasir Shah and Zulfiqar Babar come into the Pakistan team as my replacements and perform so well. I’m so happy for both of them and I hope they have long and successful careers for Pakistan.”
