Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal received a boost ahead of next month's World Twenty20 when a biomechanic expert cleared his bowling action, officials said Sunday. "We have received a report from biomechanic expert Bruce Elliott in which Ajmal's action while bowling a contentious delivery has been cleared," Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) director of operations Zakir Khan told AFP.
The 33-year-old spinner's action while bowling 'doosra' (a ball that turns away from a right-hander, as opposed to a conventional off-spinner which turns towards him) - was reported by the umpires during the second one-day international against Australia in Dubai last month. He was, however, allowed to continue bowling till an assessment of his action by Elliott, the International Cricket Council's (ICC) appointed biomechanist, was completed. Khan said Elliott had sent his report to the PCB as well as to the ICC. Ajmal was named in Pakistan's 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 starting in England from June 5.
Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam had backed Ajmal's bowling action and had criticised what he called inconsistency in the ICC's process of dealing with bowlers with illegal action.
The ICC in a statement later confirmed the bowling action of Ajmal had been found to be legal in an independent test and said the player can, therefore, continue to bowl in international cricket. "During a comprehensive analysis it was revealed that the amount of elbow extension in Saeed Ajmal's bowling action for all deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted in the ICC regulations," it said.
It warned though that whenever "Ajmal bowls in a match in the future, his action will be under the scrutiny of the match officials." The ICC general manager of cricket, David Richardson, said no bowler is ever cleared and can come under scrutiny at any time. "Ajmal can continue to bowl in international cricket on the basis he uses an action consistent to that used in the latest independent analysis of his action. "However, it is important to emphasise that no bowler is ever cleared' as it is impossible to predict how a player might deliver the ball in the future."
South African off-spinner Johan Botha was also reported for "doosra" last month, but his delivery was ruled illegal by the ICC and he was warned against bowling that particular delivery in international cricket.