Pakistan’s suspended off-spinner, Saeed Ajmal on Wednesday for the first time bowled with his revamped action under the supervision of Saqlain Mushtaq.
Ajmal bowled a number of overs to experienced all-rounder, Muhammad Hafeez who has also resumed batting in the nets after having to return home from the UAE because of a hand injury during practice.
“I am confident of getting cleared before the World Cup and my ambition is to make the World Cup squad,” Ajmal, who bowled with high speed cameras filming his deliveries, said.
The off-spinner is expected to go for an informal biomechanic test of his remodelled bowling action in the next few days to an ICC accredited centre.
Under the ICC rules once his new bowling action is cleared in the informal tests than the Pakistan cricket Board has to send a request to the ICC to have Ajmal’s bowling action tested officially in a formal test.
Sources in the PCB said that despite questions being raised by the University of Western Australia over the testing methods and process being employed presently by the ICC to test bowlers the PCB would continue to stick to the new ICC protocol for bowlers.
Mushtaq has informed the PCB that there had been a marked improvement in Ajmal’s bowling action and he was now straightening his arm under the 15 degrees angle allowed by the ICC.
He has also suggested sending Ajmal for the informal test. A source said that before going for the informal test, Saqlain had also suggested that Ajmal play a first class match in the ongoing domestic season with his corrected action.
“The idea is that Ajmal can also be directly scrutinized by the umpires and match referee in the match so that a clear picture emerges about his bowling action,” he added.
Meanwhile Hafeez is said to have made a quick recovery from his hand injury and could be in line to fly to Dubai for the first test against Australia at the weekend.
