LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) went on the back-foot regarding Saeed Ajmal after the off-spinner couldn’t prove satisfactory results in an informal test held by the country’s cricket governing body, Dawn has reliably learnt.

Instead of hastily applying for Ajmal’s reassessment of his bowling action by the ICC to clear him before sending the names of World Cup probables on Jan 7, the PCB has asked the banned spinner to play domestic matches to check if he’s improved on his action.

A few days back, the PCB wrote to the ICC, seeking permission to send Ajmal for another bio-mechanic test at an ICC-accredited laboratory.

But it is learnt that cricket’s world governing body wrote back to the PCB, asking it to decide the date for reassessment itself instead.

The PCB’s decision to ask Ajmal to play some matches in the ongoing Quaid-i-Azam Trophy was prompted after an informal bio mechanic test was conducted but the 37-year-old’s results weren’t up to the mark.

Bowling under match conditions will be ideal to check Ajmal’s progress, whose arm bends at 35-40 degrees — much higher than ICC’s allowed limit of 15 degrees.

Published in Dawn December 4th , 2014