Ajmal, the world's number one bowler in one-day internationals, was suspended "with immediate effect" following tests carried out by ICC’s accredited team in Brisbane last month.
The off-spinner's bowling action was reported by match officials during Pakistan's seven-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the first Test in Galle last month.
According to a press release on ICC's website, the analysis revealed that all his deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.
Ajmal can apply a re-assessment after he has modified his bowling action in accordance with ICC rules.
While speaking to reporters in his home town of Faisalabad, Ajmal blamed his illegal action on a "not usual" elbow and vowed to return by next year's World Cup.
The bowler dismissed the indefinite ban as "not an issue" and said he would appeal soon.
"My elbow is not usual so that's why it seems that I bend it more than the normal 15 degrees allowed. We will go into appeal soon," he said.
"I will be in action in the World Cup next year, that's my resolve."
Reactions
Pakistani and international former cricketers have been weighing in their thoughts on the suspension.
Make no mistake that bowling a Doosra and reverse swing are brilliant skills.. Do we want the Doosra banned?
— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) September 9, 2014
https://twitter.com/KP24/status/509250407668121601
Sad to hear of Ajmal's ban... I can possibly understand the doosra but offbreaks? I hope he can correct his actions in time for CWC'15
— Dav Whatmore (@dfwhatmore) September 9, 2014
I will help and support saeed ajmal to the best of my ability if required
— Saqlain Mushtaq (@Saqlain_Mushtaq) September 9, 2014
COMMENTS (65)
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If you can't play him, ban him.
@Ch. Allah Daad: I wonder if a truly "honest" cricketer would chuck in the first place.
Sad day. Honestly, its good to see ICC cracking the whip. It doesn't matter if a chucker is a Pakistani, Indian or of any other nationality. A chucker is a cheater and should be banned. Well done ICC.
Dear fellow Pakistanis, please calm down and stop blaming others. He was tested in Australia and video evidence does not lie. But this is not the end of the rope for Ajmal. He just has to adjust his action a little bit to bring it within the 15 degrees, or if he can prove his elbow abnormality then he will be back.
I want to see comparisons of past and current report. Its very very strange that a top bowler is first reported and then banned. Big 3 is up to their tricks and this entire episode seems to be a well planned series of events. Ajmal is a champion and will prove all chumps wrong by come back hard.
BIG 3 vs Pakistan. They know they can't beat Pakistan. So they started banning Pakistan players. Now, could PML (N), and PPP use their so called friendship with India to raise this issue as they have many "friends" in India.
Ajmal is an honest player and a great fighter. He could have cheated in bowling test but he didn't. I am sure he will come back.
It is things like these that radicalizes the Pakistani youth.
It was high time that we found new talent......this should speed up the process.
It is certainly a bog loss for the team. Ajmal is a match winner, but this is not the end, and I hope to see him back in the team soon.
Ali Khan Digital Engagement Team, USCENTCOM
@Strategic Asset: Genius, It is not a blog who editor may be biased. It is a website that will give you some numbers/facts!
Do you keep in touch with cricket news at all? Or just rely on spicy conspiracy theories?
Recently bowlers from West Windies, South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh Sri Lanka have all been reported and/or banned. Please go and read before you enlighten us with your intellectual conspiracy theories.
This is bound to happen when India effectively took over the ICC.
@Shamsher Singh Bajwa: Its an old habit on both the sides. Lets try and kill the practice.
Another sad day for Pak cricket.
Pakistan has been a 'crying river' since its inception. Their sorry state of the country speaks volumes.
lol... lets c him cracking jokes about sachin now...................
Ajmal was reported during the Sri Lanka tour! Where did India come into it?
PCB must have check and balance on bowlers action in domestic cricket.
feels discrimnatory-if he were Indian or white !!!
@Ahmed: go and read cricinfo.com and you will know what is really going on!!
So now Pakistanis trust a website which is mostly run out of Bangalore, India and whose editor is an Indian? By the way, I found nothing what you are suggesting on Cricinfo.
One more reason to stop watching cricket.
By the way, those writing why us? why only Pakistani bowlers? go and read cricinfo.com and you will know what is really going on!! and how many have been banned recently or are under scrutiny. :)
There's nothing wrong with Saeed Ajmal's action. (B)ICCHad been itching to do something for their masters for long and Ahmed Shehzad's Da'awa gave them the perfect excuse to take it out on Ajmal.
Long sleeves, what he was hiding throughout. Everyone who understand cricket can see his arms rotation with angle more than 15 ..
why was Saqlain never questioned? Why was Musthaq never questioned?? Because they were always 100% legal. Ajmal was always questionable so my dear countrymen stop crying foul like we always do! And accept rules and regulations like the rest of the world.
The only problem I see is that ICC let him off for very long but not forever.
Come on Pakistanis! We should all be thankful to the ICC for letting him play for so long! Why are you blaming the ICC for this too??
Sorry but Ajmal was always a chucker. His action was always in doubt and questionable. ICC's only fault is they let him play for so long.
To my lovely fellow country men: Aamir and Asif are cheats and got what they deserved. Stop being the victim and embrace rules/regulations just like others do.
Australia/England don't encourage doosra bowlers since it will always violate ICC regulations so stop being the victim and follow rules and regulations.
By the way, Pakistan can't even a series in Sri Lanka, people seriously think we were a world cup contender and by banning Ajmal, Pakistan chances will go down?!?! You need batsmen to score runs also!!
@Aalia: Because new ICC Chairman is now Indian. Go figure
Not only Ajmal but Muralitharan was also a chucker --- skillful chuckers unlike many others. ICC must go after all the chuckers by making testing mandatory for all those making their first class debut. One more test should be conducted before they are given their country cap. Will his chucking figures be obliterated from the books is the million Dollar question.
Absolutely correct decision. Ban them all who Chuck. There should not be any place for Chuckers in Cricket. ICC should also seriously look into the deliveries bowled by Murlitharan. Now is the time to give people like Zulfiqat Babar and Raza Hassan opportunities to shine. Ajmal if want to continue playing should consult Saqlain Mushtaq and learn how he used to bowl, after all Saqlain is the inventor of Doosra and was never called for illegal action. What Champion cricketer Saqlain Mushtaq was!!!
Hmm..Conspiracy by Israel??
@Professor: it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt
Lol! Now that ICC caught Ajmal chucking, look at the Pakistanis here blaming BCCI and India. Typical Pakistani paranoia!
How come the ICC has 'suddenly' realized that Ajmal's bolwing action is not right? Wait, I think i see 'BCCI" in there somewhere.....
Keeping in view his age, most likely he will not be able come back in Pakistan cricket team.
defintly bcci is involved in it they were sleeping all the time and came now to suspened him..
This is due to an incompetent and bad bad domestic or club cricket.In India, Srilanka and Pakistan there are numerous such bowlers but there is no check and this is the result. I think ICC had been generous enough but the bowler took it for granted.Watching him bowl I always felt embarrassed.
So he was cheating all the while.. Wrong person to be in the no.1 spot.. Good decision for the game of cricket... Well done ICC.
Its been happening to us for last two world cups.... in 2007 Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif was banned due to the dope incident. Then in 2011 we lost Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif again.. and now this! could be a possible conspiracy. Why such things always happens just before the start of world cup???
He chucked.He got banned.Move on.
Don't blame it on BCCI or Indians.
Better late than never...
why not ban Ashwin, Sunil Narain, Johan Botha and Harbhajan too ? Simple. First because they are not muslims and second, they are not Pakistanis.
for all the conspiracy theroists: three fixers & muscial chair between zaka & sethi were also conspiried by the ICC ??? ... wake up.. your cricket set-up is in shambles !!
Its an same ICC and Cricket Governing bodies who shied away from dhoni's match fixing in IPL
For anybody that has watched him bowl, the only surprise is that he wasn't banned earlier.
Ajmal arm was OFF more than 15 degree deviation. Right decision. We all love Ajmal as a PK player but ICC rules must be followed.
Ajmal has still a chance to improve his action and come back. Good decision by ICC. ICC rules allow a maximum of 15 degree deviation. Ajmal was tested by BIO MECHANICAL experts.
Ajmal arm was more the 15 degree deviation. Right decision. We all love Ajmal as a PK player but ICC rules must be followed.
Ajmal has still a chance to improve his action and come back. Good decision by ICC. ICC rules allow a maximum of 15 degree deviation. Ajmal was tested by BIO MECHANICAL experts.
This is conspiracy.......they are jealous of our bowlers...our team members can do no wrong.....they will do everything except playing cricket.
Shame on Big 3 & ICC = Indian Cricket Council
If he has to change his action, then he will become ineffective...
I think pak now should pick Hafeez over him!
big blow to Pakistan and even shehzad, if banned for some matches than we should not be surprised.
You have to be joking !!! isnt is very strange how this only happens to Pakistani bowlers
Thank goodness for common sense. It was embarrassing to watch him bowl his doosras. Murali started it but he got away because he had a deformity in his elbow. Ajmal had no such excuse.
Where was ICC sleeping for years and just woke up to find his action was illegal.
BCCI involved.
Chucker & Cheat