Banned off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has been included in Pakistan’s provisional World Cup squad of 30 players, but it is subject to him clearing the informal biomechanics test in the United Kingdom.
Hope for banned Pak pacer Amir as ICC revise anti-corruption code
Ajmal, who is already in the United Kingdom, is scheduled to undergo the informal test on Monday, with former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq accompanying him.
Earlier on Monday, he reiterated his confidence that his corrected bowling action would be cleared in the tests, as he is now straightening his arm within the 15 degrees allowed by the ICC.
"I have worked very hard on removing chinks in my action and once this stage is cleared I am sure I will resume playing international cricket again soon," he said.
But the national selection committee, headed by Moin Khan, apparently is not confident. While sending a provisional list to the Pakistan Cricket Board for submission to the ICC, it included Ajmal's name subject to him clearing the informal test.
"If he doesn’t clear the test then he will not be part of the provisional squad," a PCB official said.
A reliable source said the selectors had, however, included the names of discarded senior players Shoaib Malik and Kamran Akmal in the provisional squad without any pre-conditions.
Not surprisingly, the selectors also included senior batsman Younis Khan in the provisional squad which has to be sent to the ICC by December 7.
The selectors had dropped Younis for the One-day series against Australia leading to a lot of hue and cry and the senior batsman has played just a single ODI since March, 2013.
But in the ongoing series against Australia and New Zealand, Younis has broken records, scoring four centuries in three Tests.
