Ajmal's official bowling test on Jan 24

The International Cricket Council (ICC) have announced the date for the official reassessment of Saeed Ajmal's bowling action. The ICC have stated that Ajmal's official Test on his action will be done on January 24 in Chennai's Sri Ramachandra University.

Speaking to a local television channel, a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson said, "PCB approached ICC to have an official test of Saeed Ajmal. ICC has now given us the date of January 24, but it is tentative and we are yet to receive confirmation from ICC."

Ajmal withdrew from the World Cup squad as he felt that his remodeled bowling action required further remedial work before it can be officially tested. Ajmal had failed the unofficial bowling test in Chennai earlier in the week and the PCB had stated they did not want to play with Ajmal's cricketing career. The board had sent a letter to the ICC for his reassessment after the bowler assured them that his action was within the 15-degree limit.

If he fails to clear the test on January 24, he will face a one-year ban from bowling in all forms of cricket. Ajmal's action came under scrutiny during the Test series against Sri Lanka in August, when the umpires reported him for possessing a suspect bowling action.

Ajmal's action was declared illegal when the ICC reviewed his action in Brisbane. All his deliveries at that time exceeded the 15-degree rule and he started to remodel his action under the guidance of former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq. In the unofficial Test in Chennai, his action was again deemed illegal due to the doosra.

Former PCB chief Zaka Ashraf has said the board did a big blunder by sending Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez to Chennai for the unofficial test. "India and England boards don't have any regard for Pakistan and I warned the board not to send Hafeez to India. He should have been sent to Australia. But they didn't listen to me and now see what damage has been done to Pakistan cricket team when the World Cup is just around the corner," Ashraf stated.

Ajmal is confident that he will clear the test this time. A bowler can take the test only once in the year and if he fails, he will be suspended from bowling for a year.