Ajmal withdrawn from World Cup 2015 Squad

Ajmal withdrawn from World Cup 2015 Squad

KARACHI: Suspended off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was withdrawn from Pakistan’s World Cup squad on Saturday after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided he needed more time to remodel his bowling action.

According to the PCB chairman Shahryar Khan, Ajmal took the decision to pull out from World Cup contention himself.
The 37-year-old was suspended from all international cricket after his bowling action was found illegal in a bio-mechanical test in September.Under the ICC rules all bowlers are allowed to flex their elbow by 15 degrees but Ajmal’s tests revealed his elbow flexed by 43 degree.

Pakistan also faces race against time to get all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez cleared after his action was reported as suspect last month.
He was subsequently suspended earlier this month.
A PCB meeting on Saturday decided Hafeez will proceed to Chennai, India to have an unofficial test while Ajmal will do more remodelling work in Lahore.
“The PCB committee discussed the future course of action to be adopted with regard to Ajmal and Hafeez and agreed that in the case of Ajmal, further remedial work should continue in collaboration with Saqlain and a bio mechanist in Lahore,” a PCB release said.

All 14 teams have to announce their final 15-man squad by January 7 next year.

“The group was informed that significant progress had been made by Ajmal who is now working on completing his ‘mileage’ with the remodelled action which shall soon be accomplished,” said PCB.
The PCB fully supports Ajmal in his attempt to regularize his action and to return to cricket as Pakistan’s top performer in the future, the release added.
“It was noted that Saqlain and Mushtaq Ahmed (Pakistan’s spin bowling coach) have both worked with Hafeez and his action should now be unofficially tested in Chennai next week,” said the PCB.
Hafeez's action was found to be illegal earlier this month. He played as a specialist batsman in the ODI series against New Zealand in the UAE.