Cricket: Saeed Ajmal's bent elbow exceeded limit by more than double
Friday 12 September 2014 14:43, UK
A report into Saeed Ajmal's bowling action has revealed his elbow extension was more than double the legal level of tolerance.
The Pakistan off-spinner has been suspended from all cricket by the International Cricket Council following testing at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane last month.
Ajmal was reported to the ICC following the first Test against Sri Lanka in early August after the match officials became suspicious of his bowling action, and he was sent to Brisbane for analysis.
The ICC's accredited team of Human Movement Specialists in Brisbane found that Ajmal’s action was deemed illegal, leading to his suspension with immediate effect.
The NCC has now released a 23-page report detailing the analysis on Ajmal's action which reveals he recorded an elbow extension of 40 degrees, with an average deviation of only 2.5 degrees - substantially higher than the permitted limit of 15 degrees.
The report also states that Ajmal was tested over eight overs of bowling, and that none of his deliveries came close to meeting ICC regulations.
Ajmal initially insisted he would be able to overturn the ban based on medical grounds, having said previously that the bend in his arm is the result of an accident.
"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 said. "I will be in action in the World Cup next year, that's my resolve."
But both Ajmal and the Pakistan Cricket Board have opted not to appeal against the suspension, and he will now undergo remodelling work on his action over the coming weeks.
