Saeed Ajmal accuses ICC of bias during their clamp down on suspect actions
In a serious claim, discarded Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal has slammed the International Cricket Council (ICC) for being biased towards players from certain countries in the crackdown on suspect action.
Speaking to PakPassion.net, the 38-year old also declared that the equipment used by the game's apex body in various testing centers was malfunctioning. After being suspended from bowling due to the flex in his action in 2014, Ajmal was forced to remodel his bowling and made a lackluster comeback following which he was axed from the Pakistan set-up.
Claiming that he was victimized by the ICC, he asserted, “There are several bowlers out there whose actions are not clean but they never get reported. I cannot name them of course but it’s obvious who I am referring to. I have video proof that the bowling actions of some bowlers are not legal but they have never been reported.”
Adding that his unique bowling action was due to an accident, Ajmal affirmed, "What hurts me is that I was suddenly banned after seven years of playing international cricket and no consideration was given for my unusual action due to an accident I was involved in.“
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Not stopping with his interesting theories, Saeed continued, “I feel that as a Pakistani I am scrutinized more than bowlers from other countries. Everyone can see that some bowlers are getting away with their actions. But, others are monitored closely and banned. It seems to me that the actions of bowlers from Pakistan and Bangladesh are watched more closely than other countries by the ICC.”
Ajmal dismissed the elaborate testing procedure employed by the ICC to weed out chuckers. He alleged, “Careers are at stake here and these things need to be tested thoroughly before bowlers are banned. Can the ICC say that their testing procedures are absolutely accurate? No, they cannot. Therefore, the careers of bowlers are being jeopardized by equipment that is not totally accurate.”
The off-spinner who relied heavily on the ‘doosra’ during his hey days, also wanted the governing body to prove to him about the testing process. Ajmal believed, “If the ICC can prove to me that their testing procedures and equipment is 100% accurate. Then I will be satisfied, but as things stand, bowlers are being banned by a testing procedure that is not entirely accurate.”
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Heaping more scorn on the ICC, the enigmatic cricketer maintained, “Spinners are penalized for their bowling actions but look at the size of cricket bats these days, they are like tree trunks. Also, look at the power-play rules and the relevant field settings. I’ll tell you what they’ve (spinners) been given, nothing apart from more suspicion and scrutiny.”
Earlier, he had been reprimanded by the PCB for similar scathing statements and wriggled out of the fiasco with an apology. It will be fascinating to see whether the ICC chooses to respond to Ajmal’s allegations, this time.