Ashwin, Harbhajan are chuckers too: Saeed Ajmal alleges ICC bias against Pakistan spinners

Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal has kicked up a storm by accusing Indian off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin of chucking and getting away with it. In an interview with Pakistani media, Dunya News, the controversial 38-year-old has alleged that Harbhajan and Ashwin’s actions are dubious and they bend their arm well above the permissible limit of 15 degrees. [caption id=“attachment_185790” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. Reuters[/caption] Ajmal has also alleged partial treatment on ICC’s part, claiming that Indian spinners walk away scot-free, when they have been chucking all the while, whereas Pakistani players are pulled up instantly for suspect action. “If Bilal Asif takes five wickets in one match, in the very next match he is called for chucking by the umpires. Another spinner (referring to Harbhajan) chucks continuously, but is never called. There is a bias against Pakistani cricketers,” Ajmal said in the interview. Ajmal appealed to the ICC to look at all teams with a uniform yardstick and not with any bias. The disgruntled spinner even went on to say that if Harbhajan bowls 60 balls, all 60 of them would qualify as chucking. Ajmal accepted that he chucked the ball during his career but blamed it on a medical condition in his arm. Saeed Ajmal, who in his heyday topped the ICC world rankings in all three formats, was banned by the ICC in 2014 for illegal action. Consequently, Ajmal had to pull out of the 2015 World Cup. In 2004, Harbhajan was reported to the ICC for suspect bowling action in the second test against Bangladesh in Chittagong over his ‘doosra’. However, Harbhajan’s action was cleared by the ICC in 2005 and he was allowed to bowl after he passed the requisite biomechanical tests. Watch Saeed Ajmal’s full interview below: