Saeed Ajmal Suspended From International Cricket

Lakruwan Wanniarachchi—AFP

Pakistani off-spinner can apply for re-assessment after he modifies his ‘illegal action,’ according to the ICC.

Top Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has been suspended from international cricket after tests found his bowling action was illegal, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Tuesday.

Ajmal, the world’s number one bowler in one-day internationals, was suspended “with immediate effect” following an assessment in Brisbane last month. The 36-year-old was reported for a suspect action after last month’s first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. He can apply for a re-assessment once he has modified his action.

“The player has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect,” the ICC statement said. “The analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.”

The ruling is a blow to Pakistan ahead of their series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates starting next month. It also comes just a few months before the one-day Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which starts in February.

Ajmal blamed his illegal action on a “not usual” elbow and vowed to return by next year’s World Cup. HE dismissed the International Cricket Council’s indefinite ban, which followed tests in Brisbane, as “not an issue” and said he would appeal soon.

“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,” he told reporters in his hometown of Faisalabad. “I will be in action in the World Cup next year, that’s my resolve.”