Ajmal claims special concession to 15 degree rule allowed by ICC

[Z-Man]

PCB clarifies Saeed Ajmal’s comments​

Lahore February 7, 2012: Pakistan Team Manager Naveed Akram Cheema, while clarifying off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s comments on his bowling action, has issued the following statement:

“The ICC’s level of tolerance of 15 degrees relates to the degree of elbow extension that is permitted in the bowling action i.e. the amount by which the arm is straightening.

“Previous tests conducted on the action of Saeed Ajmal show that the degree of elbow extension is well within ICC’s tolerance levels.

“Saeed Ajmal was referring to the angle of elbow abduction i.e. the angle of the upper arm to the forearm and not the degree of elbow extension. This angle is approximately 23 degrees in Saeed’s case.”

ICC General Manager – Cricket, David Richardson, said: “There is a big difference between the “elbow carry angle” (elbow abduction) and the degree of elbow extension. There is nothing preventing a bowler bowling with a bent arm, provided he does not straighten it beyond the permitted degrees of tolerance.”

PCB Media Department

 

[a spambot]

if this was coming from bitterness or whatever they would also be accusing rehman but no one has said a word about him. face it, they're calling him a chucker because he looks an awful lot like one.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Looking like a chucker and being a chucker isn't the same. The ICC know more than anyone else. The English media can cry as much as they want but it won't change the fact that he has been cleared by the ICC.

 

[gvenkat]

ICC has scientific methods to Test these alleged chuckers. Ajmal has been cleared by the ICC. It appears that Ajmal did not know what he was trying to convey with that 23.5 degrees. ICC has come out and said that it is not the case.

Because the English batters appeared clueless and could not pick his doosra, teesra etc. Bob (Willis), Andy (Flower), Tom, Dick and Harry call him chuckers..

Classic case of Sour Grapes.

 

[gvenkat]

Looking like a chucker and being a chucker isn't the same. The ICC know more than anyone else. The English media can cry as much as they want but it won't change the fact that he has been cleared by the ICC.

Sour Grapes. Usually Delhi Belly is an excuse. This time it's chucking.

 

[gvenkat]

Botha got caught because his doosra was measured at about 30 degrees IIRC.

Was Botha not cleared by ICC?

 

[Furball]

Was Botha not cleared by ICC?

No. He isn't allowed to bowl his doosra because he throws it.

 

[gvenkat]

No. He isn't allowed to bowl his doosra because he throws it.

Alright. Thanks.

 

[Viscount Tom]

George Dobell, 'professional' cricket troll.

But seriously people should learn to read before they are allowed to put up articles that will get read by many people.

 

[ganeshran]

Testing isn't exactly the best way to make sure the bowler is consistent in a match and in the lab. However they do compare the bowlers action in the lab with his action in a match. They make sure that he is bowling at the same speed and puts the same revolution on the ball as he does in match conditions. How is it that Botha got caught by the ICC bit Ajmal hasn't? Is Ajmal more sneaky and clever than Botha?

If Ajmal's straightening is less than 15 degree then I would still consider his action legal regardless of how bad it appears to the naked eye.

The only caveat here is that a bowler can consciously bowl legally while testing but not paying heed to it in match conditions which I think is what Ajmal does. Do they also compare the angle of the bowling arm in the match (if thats possible) to the angle bowled in the lab? Because that would conclusively prove whether he chucks or not. Also how do they measure the revolutions on the ball? From footage?

 

[Cricketismylife]

If Ajmal's straightening is less than 15 degree then I would still consider his action legal regardless of how bad it appears to the naked eye.

The only caveat here is that a bowler can consciously bowl legally while testing but not paying heed to it in match conditions which I think is what Ajmal does. Do they also compare the angle of the bowling arm in the match (if thats possible) to the angle bowled in the lab? Because that would conclusively prove whether he chucks or not. Also how do they measure the revolutions on the ball? From footage?

Ye but that's just speculation. Anyone can straighten their arm more in a match not just Ajmal. Fast bowlers when bowling the effort ball, for example someone like Flintoff could be flexing more than 15 degrees and we wouldnt know. So why single out Ajmal. ICC have shown before that virtually all bowlers straighten their arm, yet the media hardly EVER mentions this and neither do the Sky commentators.

The Sky commentators either outright say or imply that Ajmal is a chucker, or they defend him with completely the wrong defence. For example Hussain says that they didnt call Murali so why call Ajmal. Similarly Atherton says its good for the game. These are defences which mislead the public into thinking the likes of Ajmal and Murali are chuckers, and hide away the real facts.

The only thing we have to go on is the ICC testing, and that should be the final word. The study has shown that the naked eye isnt very good at judging straightening, since no one had any clue that bowlers with typical actions were straightening their arms.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Ajmal should have his action checked annually. It would solve a lot of problems.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Wouldn't usually bother commenting in a thread like this, but can people please not associated the ****ing stupid English media with the English population. We hate them as much as you do and it's not very becoming when we all get lumped together as one by certain people.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Don't think anyone was confusing the two.

 

[smash84]

Ajmal should have his action checked annually. It would solve a lot of problems.

No it wouldn't.

Some people would still cry that the delivery that got their batsmen was a chuck

 

[marc71178]

nah.. . Funny how you only notice it after he has made your batsmen look like idiots.

Yes, because everybody was so complementary about his action before this series weren't they?

It just seems odd that this hasn't been broadcast as a reason why he's cleared to bowl when there's been so much speculation about it over the last few years - when Murali was cleared because of his defect, that was mentioned there and then.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yes, because everybody was so complementary about his action before this series weren't they?

It just seems odd that this hasn't been broadcast as a reason why he's cleared to bowl when there's been so much speculation about it over the last few years - when Murali was cleared because of his defect, that was mentioned there and then.

Mural wasn't cleared "because" of his defect though; his defect merely created an odd situation where it looked like he was a throwing it a lot more than he was.

Same thing was Ajmal here. Apparently he can't fully straighten his arm, so if his arm is bent at say 23 degrees, it only straightens 15 degrees when he tries to fully straighten it. This creates the illusion of a 23 degree flex.

Players aren't given special dispensations for not being able to straighten their arm all the way; it just allows them to bowl with an initially further bent arm, creating the illusion of more of a throw.

 

[honestbharani]

Yes, because everybody was so complementary about his action before this series weren't they?

It just seems odd that this hasn't been broadcast as a reason why he's cleared to bowl when there's been so much speculation about it over the last few years - when Murali was cleared because of his defect, that was mentioned there and then.

again, it is obvious it was there to see for people who wanna see. And he has got no special allowance because of it. So why the hell should it be broadcasted around the world? The rule is the same for him as for anyone else. Just because he starts with a bent arm doesn't mean that is some special consideration.. You have always been allowed to bowl with a bent arm in cricket..



Are you saying you were this interested in Ajmal before this series?

 

[Viscount Tom]

Ajmal should have his action checked annually. It would solve a lot of problems.

Don't see why he should be forced to TBH.

Although IMO if spinners wore short sleeves more often you'd probably have this questin asked fewer times anyway.

In any case his actions legal, deal with it

...or if your England don't deal with it.

 

[Jarquis]

again, it is obvious it was there to see for people who wanna see. And he has got no special allowance because of it. So why the hell should it be broadcasted around the world? The rule is the same for him as for anyone else. Just because he starts with a bent arm doesn't mean that is some special consideration.. You have always been allowed to bowl with a bent arm in cricket..



Are you saying you were this interested in Ajmal before this series?

Everyone know of Ajmal's action before this series. Else he wouldn't have been tested before. He's played against England before and there was talk about his action then.
I don't think it's unfair to say England fans are entitled to be more interested in a player when he's playing against their team. You can hardly criticise the English press for not writing about Ajmal tearing the West Indies apart and bringing up his action in those games. It's of no interest to the English press and the vast majority of English citizens and even some English cricket fans.