Ajmal And Gazi Cleared To Bowl Again

February 07, 2015

Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal and Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi can resume bowling in international cricket, after the ICC cleared their bowling actions following remedial work and retests.

At the retests, it was revealed that the amount of elbow extensions in both the offspinners' bowling actions for all their deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations for the review of bowlers reported with suspected illegal bowling actions.

However, the umpires are still at liberty to report Ajmal or Gazi in the future if they believe they are displaying a suspect action and not reproducing the legal actions from the retests. Umpires have been provided with images and video footage of the bowlers' significantly remodeled legal bowling actions.

Their retests were held at the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai on January 24.

Ajmal was suspended from bowling in September after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries. Before he was banned, tests revealed his elbow extension was going up to 42 degrees on average, leading to his suspension. He underwent extensive remedial work on his action with former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. Ajmal went through three unofficial Tests that showed his offspinner and faster ball were within the legitimate 15-degree limit, though his doosra was still beyond the limit.

Ajmal had withdrawn from Pakistan's World Cup squad in December because the PCB "didn't want to take a risk with his career."

Gazi was reported for a suspect action in Bangladesh's second ODI against West Indies in August last year and was suspended from bowling in October after he was tested in Cardiff. He had been working towards a remedy with Bangladesh spin coach Ruwan Kalpage, under whose supervision he had bowled in the nets during the Zimbabwe series.

Gazi had not been included in Bangladesh's 15-man squad for the World Cup.4
(Cricinfo)