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Doosra not illegal, says Saqlain

Inventor defends delivery he says is possible to bowl legally

Retired spin king Saqlain Mushtaq has defended the controversial doosra delivery he invented, which has come under renewed scrutiny since fellow Pakistani Saaed Ajmal's ban for an illegal bowling action last week.

The doosra, which means "the second one" in Urdu, turns from legside to offside – the opposite direction to orthodox off breaks, and is generally more difficult for batsmen to pick.

But the delivery has come to be regarded with deep suspicion by some, with critics suggesting the doosra cannot be bowled without straightening the elbow beyond the permissible 15 degree limit.

Quick Single: Ajmal still hoping for World Cup return

Saqlain, who took 208 Test and 288 one-day wickets, claims the naysayers were wrong.

"Who says doosra is illegal?" he asked on Monday.

"It can easily be delivered within the allowed rules. It is not an easy delivery to bowl but if a bowler becomes expert he doesn't transgress limits."

"You need to have strong muscles to bowl a doosra, then fitness matters, also grip, rhythm and follow through. If just one of these things is missing then you get out of limits."

Saqlain will arrive in Lahore next week to start remedial work on Ajmal's action, reported during the Galle Test against Sri Lanka last month.

Ajmal's action was then assessed by independent bio-mechanics experts at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, which revealed he flexes his elbow up to 43 degrees for his off-spinner and 42 for his doosra.

Saqlain said he hoped to alter Ajmal's action through coaching, but with the banned spinner turning 37 next month there is a worry he may be too old to change his ways.

"I am quite hopeful of helping him," said Saqlain. "I am not making any guarantees but will see his reports and footage and then try my best."

Pakistan have considered off-spinners Atif Maqbool and Adnan Rasool to replace Ajmal in the short-term. Both are prolific performers at domestic level, but queries have been raised about their actions.

 

Suspect actions in the news since June

3 June: Sri Lanka off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

22 June: New Zealand off-spinner Kane Williamson is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

28 June: The ICC Cricket Committee meets in Melbourne and recommends an increased focus on bowlers with questionable actions.

12 July: Senanayake is banned from bowling by the ICC after undergoing official testing in Cardiff.

23 July: Williamson is banned from bowling by the ICC after undergoing official testing in Cardiff.

11 August: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

15 August: The ICC confirms three newly accredited testing centres will be unveiled in the coming months.

22 August: Zimbabwe off-spinner Prosper Utseya is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

25 August: Bangladesh off-spinner Sohag Gazi is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

25 August: Ajmal begins official testing at Cricket Australia's National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

9 September: Ajmal banned with immediate effect by ICC. Pakistan Cricket Board say they will weigh up their options, while Ajmal says a medical condition is to blame and he remains confident of playing in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

10 September: Bangladesh fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

10 September: PCB release details of ICC report that show Ajmal was found to be straightening arm nearly three times the legal limit.