Pakistan launch crackdown on suspect bowlers

PCB revives biomechanics laboratory after seven years

KARACHI: Pakistan on Thursday suspended 16 domestic bowlers with suspect actions, a senior official said, in a major crackdown against chucking following the ban of ace spinner Saeed Ajmal.

Ajmal was suspended earlier this month after he was found to straighten his elbow up to 43 degrees, well above the prescribed limit of 15.

The ban jolted the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) into action to avoid further international embarrassment.

"We have 29 bowlers reported for suspect bowling actions in the current home cricket season and half of them were reported twice, so we have banned around 16 from domestic matches," said director of domestic cricket Inthikab Alam.

"All these bowlers will not be allowed to play in domestic matches and will go to the national cricket academy to get their actions altered.”

To deal with the problem, the PCB has revived its biomechanics laboratory in Lahore this month after it was left inoperational for seven years over allegations of financial irregularities in buying its machinery.

Ajmal was the seventh Pakistani reported for suspect actions in international matches, joining Shahid Afridi, Shabbir Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Riaz Afridi, Shoaib Malik and Shoaib Akhtar.
Even the two spinners called up to replace Ajmal while he undergoes remedial work, Atif Maqbool and Adnan Rasool, have been reported.
Under the ICC rules bowlers are permitted to straighten their bowling arm up to 15 degrees, which has been established as the point at which any straightening will become visible to the naked eye.