Former Pakistan bowling coach and now a biomechanics expert, Daryl Foster, has said the International Cricket Council (ICC) is going out of its way in crackdown against suspect bowling actions.
Foster’s comments are significant as they come in the backdrop of ICC’s one-year ban on Saeed Ajmal. “I wasn’t surprised, just disappointed for the boy [Ajmal] himself,” Foster was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
The ICC banned the 36-year-old on Tuesday after biomechanic tests at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane revealed all his deliveries breached the permissible limit for straightening of the elbow joint.
Foster, who had earlier worked with Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling action, said he was a little disappointed with the crackdown against the spinners.
“We seem to be going out of our way to sort of get rid of some of the best spin bowlers in the world. But … if that’s the way the ICC are going then people have to comply with what the rule is,” Foster said.
Foster also said that Pakistan had the facilities and the expertise to fix Ajmal’s action and all is not over for the bowler. “I don’t think we can afford to lose such a great talent like this out of the game.”
Pakistan’s former bowling coach also made it clear that Pakistan have the resources to deal with this situation. Foster had worked with Pakistan in 2001. “They’ve got experts in that part of the world and I’d expect that if Ajmal needs remediation, it can take place over there,” he said.
“(Remedial work) can be as short as a week, it can be as long as a month or so. Some boys have the ability to understand exactly what you’re saying and are able to do it quick smart. Others have a little bit of trouble and it’s a day-by-day working proposition.”
Meanwhile, former fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also had some advice for Ajmal. Akhtar, who had also faced the ICC’s scrutiny for his bowling action, said, “I would advise Saeed to legally challenge not only the ban but the entire protocol and method being used by the ICC to test bowlers.”
“I don’t know how much the PCB is going to support Saeed on this issue but to me the best option for him is to take the ICC to court. The way I look at it he has to fight this case himself if he wants to play in international cricket again,” Akhtar was quoted as saying by The Dawn.
Ajmal has about five months to correct his action and appeal for a reassessment in order to play in the 2015 World Cup. On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan accepted it was a big jolt before next year’s 50-over marquee event but also clarified that Pakistan were keeping “all options open” for Ajmal. PCB are likely to contest against Ajmal’s ban on medical grounds.
