PCB says Ajmal ready to undergo test after rectifying bowling action

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that former Pakistan ace off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq is of the opinion that Saeed Ajmal has rectified his bowling action to permitted limits and is ready to undergo a test to return to the game.

PCB chairman Shahryar Khan revealed that they would first send Ajmal, who was barred from bowling in international cricket for an illegal action, for an informal review.

The board had hired Mushtaq on a short-term contract to help Ajmal correct his action, which breached the 15 degrees level of tolerance allowed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for bowlers to straighten their arm, Sport24 reported.

Shahryar said that Mushtaq has given a positive report that Ajmal has managed to remodel his bowling action to within the permissible limits of the ICC, adding that the former bowler and Ajmal are both ready to go for the informal tests.

Shahryar said that once Ajmal clears the informal test they would then ask the ICC to test out Ajmal so that the off-spinner can be cleared before the World Cup.

Ajmal, who has been Pakistan's leading wicket-taker in all formats for the last three years, was first reported by match officials in August during the first test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Shahryar added that Ajmal is vital to Pakistan's chances in the World Cup so they would follow all the permitted routes to get him cleared by the ICC.

The PCB chief said that very soon they would be sending Ajmal for an informal review to one of the three biomechanic labs of the ICC and they are hopeful that the off-spinner can be available for the World Cup.

In Ajmal's absence, Australia thrashed Pakistan in the lone Twenty20 and blanked them 3-0 in the three match ODI series in the UAE, the report added.