Veteran spinner faces long road back from suspension
What's next for Saeed Ajmal?
Update
Saeed Ajmal, the man at the centre of the biggest story in cricket right now, has made it clear he will cease commenting on the ban he was handed by the International Cricket Council for having an illegal bowling action until a review is conducted by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
"I shall wait for the outcome of deliberations and verdict of Pakistan Cricket Board’s Illegal Bowling Action Committee and until that process is complete, I shall not be making any further comments on the subject," said Ajmal, in a statement released via PCB on Wednesday night (AEST).
The PCB’s five-member "Illegal Bowling Review Committee", consists of: Mohammad Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed, Ali Zia, Aleem Dar (in case he is on the ICC duty, Ahsan Raza) and Dr. Sohail Saleem.
Ajmal had commented soon after his suspension was handed down, read more on that here.
Earlier
Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal is in a race against time if the off-spinner harbours any hope of having his suspension for an illegal bowling action lifted before the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.
On Tuesday, Ajmal was banned by the International Cricket Council with immediate effect after independent testing at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane determined his action was illegal for all deliveries tested.
Quick Single: Ajmal banned for illegal action
The ban has all but ruled Ajmal out of the series against Australia next month, which includes one T20, three ODIs and two Tests.
The 36-year-old is now faced with a choice between appealing his ban or undergoing remedial work on his action and then re-testing at an accredited ICC facility.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has backed down from their initial vow to appeal the suspension, saying instead that a recently-formed committee will consider the matter and recommend the best course of action.
Quick Single: Pakistan consider appeal options
According to ICC regulations, Ajmal has until September 22 to lodge an appeal to have his case re-examined by the ICC's Bowling Review Group (BRG).
However, lodging an appeal carries significant risk as the BRG has the power to prohibit Ajmal from applying for re-testing for up to 12 months if they determine his appeal to be "frivolous".
Even if Ajmal's appeal goes ahead and is successful, the process could take up to five weeks, meaning it's unlikely he would be cleared to play in time for Australia's tour opener on October 6.
The BRG, a committee which will be assembled only if an appeal is lodged, would consist of a member of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission, a current ICC referee, a former player, a former umpire and a human movement specialist.
The ICC's general manager-cricket Geoff Allardice, who in June spoke about the need for greater scrutiny of bowlers with suspect actions, will be an ex-officio member of the BRG.
The panel will be selected by the Chairman of the ICC Cricket Committee, former India spinner Anil Kumble, and a selected member of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission.
If Ajmal opts against an appeal, he must remodel his action enough if he hopes to be cleared in re-testing.
Under ICC regulations, he can apply to have his action re-tested at any time.
The process of remedial work can be a long one, as is currently being experienced by Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake, who was suspended for an illegal action on July 12.
Quick Single: Senanayke banned by the ICC
Last month, Senanayake completed 10 days of work on his action under the watch of biomechanics guru Daryl Foster at the University of Western Australia, which up until March was the only testing facility accredited by the ICC.
Now, two months after Senanayake was suspended, Foster and his team are still to submit a report to Sri Lanka Cricket that is expected to recommend the spinner’s action has been altered enough to undergo re-testing.
Quick Single: Foster wants chucking probe focused on quicks
Foster told cricket.com.au on Wednesday that it's difficult to predict just how long it will take until any suspended bowler has his action cleared again by the ICC.
Sri Lanka are hopeful Senanayake will be cleared in time for the opening game of their seven-match ODI series against England on November 26, more than four months after his suspension was handed down.
The length of the complicated process that Senanayake is currently undergoing does not bode well for Ajmal.
With just four months to go before the final 15-man squads for the World Cup must be submitted to the ICC, and just over five months before the tournament begins, time is running out for Pakistan's leading bowler to make himself available for the game's showpiece event.
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.