PCB ask Saqlain Mushtaq to help Ajmal

Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has been contacted by the Pakistan Cricket Board to assist with Saeed Ajmal's remodelling, after he was banned from bowling in international cricket.

Former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has been contacted by the Pakistan Cricket Board to assist with Saeed Ajmal's remodelling, after he was banned from bowling in international cricket.

Saqlain has to see whether he is available to help the banned spinner, who now has to work on his action before being retested, before he can return to the game. It was a heavy blow to Pakistan's Wold Cup hopes.

Saqlain told Cricinfo: "It is a matter of concern. I got a call from the PCB on Tuesday. We are talking but I haven't yet committed. They have given me short notice. They asked me if I would help Ajmal.

"I would love to. I said definitely, but we are trying to see if the dates can be worked out. I am hopeful."

Saqlain, who pioneered the delivery, was asked if the doosra could be bowled legally, given it's the most problematic delivery for most spinners in this regard, and he said: "Of course, it can be bowled within the rules.

"You have to work on four important things: endurance, strength and power, flexibility, and finally quickness or speed. These are the things to be sorted out first, even before we arrive at the bowler's action, run-up, loading and follow-through."

He also said that a heavy workload could affect one's deliveries: "If you tire yourself too much, it might affect your strength and power, it might affect your flexibility, it could reduce your bowling speed.

"So over-working or bowling wrong, or not working at all, depends on the four aspects I mentioned above."

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