Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will not risk sending Saeed Ajmal for official International Cricket Council (ICC) bowling test on his action until the bowler proves he has been put through his paces in a match situation.
Ajmal is currently in UK where his unofficial test at the Loughborough University has already been undertaken. The initial test revealed that his bowling bend and flexion was still over 15 degrees but yet it can improved with more work.
The off-spinner is working with a local biomechanist and former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq in a bid to remedy his action.
PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan stated that the bowler will go thorugh another unofficial test at Loughborough and then will be called back to Pakistan in order to appear in domestic matches.
“Both Ajmal and Saqlain believe that they are at the level where the bowling test can be cleared now but yet there will be one more informal assessment of Ajmal at Loughborough next week,” PCB Chairman said.
“If the new informal test showed improvement that he has reduced the 15 degree flexion then we’ll ask him to come here and play domestic cricket in Pakistan either four-day or one-day matches.
“He may pass the test in the laboratory but we’ll see first that whether he can do the same in match situation or not. If he did well in match situation as well with effectiveness, then we’ll send him for formal ICC test. But where he will be sent for the test will be ICC’s decision.”
Ajmal faces a race against time in order to be selected for the World Cup next year and has already missed the ongoing Test series against New Zealand in the UAE. Despite this, he has already been included in Pakistan’s preliminary 30-man squad but the PCB will wait until the end of the year before determining their final 15-man squad that will travel to Australia and New Zealand.
“We are getting him tested again so that we can get the real picture before naming of final squad for World Cup. The last date for submission of 15-man World Cup squad is January 7 so we need to have everything crystal clear about Ajmal before that date,” said Khan.
