Former member of the ICC Elite Umpire Panel Asad Rauf had a go at compatriot and former Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal over the latter’s claim of the ICC’s bias against Pakistani players.
Ajmal created somewhat of a controversy after he suggested that his ban from international cricket was primarily due to the ICC having a propensity to sideline Pakistan players at the slightest opportunity. His action was deemed illegal in 2014, following which the spinner’s career took a massive nosedive.
Rauf was bemused at Ajmal’s remarks and disclosed that Saeed had, in fact, bowled 63 deliveries against Sri Lanka that were deemed illegal. He also went on to explain that the former player’s allegation of partiality against Pakistani players was untrue, stating that ICC being the governing body for world cricket, can and does not indulge in such activities.
Moreover, in Ajmal’s case, the entire discussion would be rendered moot, considering that the decision was taken wholly by reviewing the results of the biomechanical test that he was subjected to after being reported for a suspect action. Rauf vouched for the ICC and said that all the decisions were taken as per the laws of the game.
“Many people who have been banned have never been told the reason for it. They don’t know about the 15-degree rule and all of that,”
Rauf said while speaking in an interview for a YouTube channel ‘Sports Paktv’.
“Why did Saeed Ajmal get banned? 63 of his deliveries in Sri Lanka were illegal. It’s not because he was banned just because he was from Pakistan. People say ICC behaves like a step-child with Pakistan; such things don’t happen at this level. People should’ve been made aware of such rules.”
“People say, ‘Saeed Ajmal was banned because he was from Pakistan. Why was Harbhajan not banned?’ It’s all nonsense.”
“Such decisions are taken at a very high level and strictly according to the laws of the game.”.
Ajmal lashed out at the International Cricket Council in 2020, speaking about the events that led to his exile from international cricket. He was reported for an illegal action in 2014, but that was not the first time his action drew the attention of the ICC.
His ‘teesra’ was one of the deliveries in question, among others, for which he underwent scrutiny. However, unlike the earlier incident when he was cleared, which the former Pakistan international claims were due to some medical conditions, he was held in violation of the laws in 2014, following which he was barred from bowling.
He claims that was the only difference between the two tests were the consideration of his pre-existing medical conditions.
“When Muralitharan left cricket then ICC thought there is this guy Saeed Ajmal and he is from Pakistan and they can’t do anything against our decision,”
Ajmal had said back in 2020.
Nonetheless, Rauf rubbished Ajmal’s claims, and said that those who were unaware of the laws and regulations in place must not make such irresponsible comments. He went on to suggest that Ajmal’s action was in clear violation of the 15-degree rule, and having breached it, the only course of action was to bar him from bowling until it was corrected, which was what the ICC did.
However, Ajmal did return but to very little effect and was soon out of the side. He eventually retired in 2017 after representing his country in 35 Tests, 113 ODIs, and 64 T20Is, picking up 447 wickets across all formats.
