Ajmal faces action after accusing ICC of ‘double standards’

Pakistan’s right-arm off spinner Saeed Ajmal is facing disciplinary action for criticising the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) “attitude towards illegal bowling actions”, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The 38-year-old spinner accused the ICC of double-standards and unfairly targeting off-spinners in the wake of implementing regulations on bowlers with illegal bowling actions.

“Players from Pakistan are more likely to be reported than those from other countries” he said.

Ajmal even criticised the bowling action of India’s Harbhajan Singh.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) quickly responded to Ajmal’s statements. He was issued a notice by PCB.

According to cricinfo.com, it is also possible that Harbhajan, who has successfully remodeled his action after being reported twice, would take legal action.

“Why just target the off-spinners?” Ajmal, who last played a Test for Pakistan in August 2014, was quoted as saying in an interview with Geo Super. “Why not the left-arm spinners, leg spinners or fast bowlers?

“I can tell you that I have been through this bowling assessment process so many times and have watched and studied this issue so closely that I can vouch that if tests were carried out, there would be many other bowlers whose bowling actions would exceed the 15 degrees extension limit.

“I don’t want to take names but there are bowlers, including fast bowlers, who are currently violating the new rules but no one is looking at them.

“If they put Harbhajan Singh through a proper bowling assessment test now, I can safely tell you he will exceed the 15 degrees limit.”

Questioning the timing of the assessment reports, Ajmal said he felt it was “motivated by a desire to destabilise the Pakistan team”.

“Just before the World Cup they ruled Hafeez and myself out,” he said.

“I find it strange that Bilal Asif plays his first two ODIs and doesn’t take many wickets, so no one reports his action. As soon as he takes five wickets, his action is reported by the umpires. They find fault with just two deliveries. I find this to be a joke.”

However, the ICC called the treatment meted out to the bowlers with illegal bowling actions as unbiased.

“We have a robust and transparent process to test bowlers,” an ICC spokesman told cricinfo.com. “It is consistent through all countries and all types of bowlers. Indeed, a fast bowler has been reported and players from various nations have been reported.

“We have five ICC accredited testing centres around the world in which members of the ICC Panel of Human Movement Specialists conduct tests using the ICC Standard Analysis Protocols. These protocols are the same for anyone who undergoes assessment for his bowling action.

“As a result, following assessments, some bowlers have been cleared to continue bowling; some have needed to re-model their actions. Furthermore, a player can within seven days after receiving the independent assessment report seek a review of any procedural aspect of his case, but no player has ever done so.”