KARACHI, (Reuters) – The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) want their English counterparts to take disciplinary action Stuart Broad after the Twenty20 skipper’s remarks about the bowling action of Pakistani spinner Saeed Ajmal.
“We have sent a letter to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and we have enquired from them what action are they planning against Broad since he is a centrally contracted player,” PCB’s chief operating officer, Subhan Ahmad told Reuters yesterday.
Ajmal’s bowling action, which has been reported in the past but was cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC), has come under scrutiny while playing for Worcestershire in English county cricket where he has taken a bagful of wickets.
“Bowlers can bowl very differently in a lab while being tested compared to needing wickets in the middle.” Broad posted on his Twitter account.
The message was in response to a Tweet from former England captain Michael Vaughan, who had posted a photograph of Ajmal bowling with a bent arm in a county game and wrote: “You are allowed 15 degrees of flex in your delivery swing…. #justsaying.”
Broad responded: “This has to be a fake photo?!”
Ahmad said that the Pakistani spinner had been disturbed by this unwanted controversy generated by the comments.
“He is upset and not happy but we have told him we are now handling this issue with the ECB,” he added.
Ajmal, 36, is Pakistan’s leading spinner with 169 test wickets and another 182 in one-day internationals.
His stint with Worcestershire has been successful so far and he took a career best seven for 19 in a recent game against Essex.
The Pakistani spinner said he had expected better from Broad.
“Broad’s dig hurt me the most,” Ajmal told the Pakpassion.net website.
“Former players will sit in the commentary box or wherever else and say some things for attention but you don’t expect such things from a fellow professional cricketer who is still playing cricket.
“It was disappointing to read Broad’s comments, but we are dealing with it and we hope to get an explanation from the ECB about Broad’s comments.”
Ahmad pointed out that Ajmal had been playing international cricket without any issues over his action which is why Broad’s comments came as a disappointment to them.
