Ajmal vows to return better than ever

Saeed Ajmal has revealed not only has he remodelled his action to legally bowl again in international cricket, he has added two new deliveries to his armoury and hinted he could return to Australia for BBL|05 next summer.

In an exclusive chat with cricket.com.au, Ajmal also revealed the reasons behind his decision to opt out of playing for Pakistan in the ICC Cricket World Cup despite still being the world's No.1 ranked one-day bowler.

"I withdrew my name from the World Cup squad because I felt I was not at my best yet and I didn’t want to play as second fiddle to anyone," Ajmal said from the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

"I have always wanted to be leader of the pack and played cricket as front-line bowler and will continue to do so in future as well.

"I would have featured in the World Cup if I wanted to play but I opted against it as I didn’t want to be a burden on the team.

"Now that my action is cleared I will work more on my bowling. I have already started playing club cricket.

"Pakistan’s next bilateral series is still three months away and I will have gained significant improvement by the time Pakistan plays its next series."

Ajmal will be joined Mohammad Hafeez after the allrounder was ruled out of the World Cup with a calf-injury he sustained in the second one-day international against New Zealand earlier this month.

The off-spinner underwent the ICC's strict biomechanical testing on January 24, but only learned he had passed the tests and been cleared to resume his international career on Saturday.

Quick Single: Ajmal cleared to bowl again after ICC Tests

He celebrated with friends and close family in his hometown of Faisalabad, a three-hour drive away from Lahore.

Ajmal could make his return to the national team during a planned tour of Zimbabwe before a likely bilateral series against arch-rivals India later this year. 

When he does, he says he will bringing all his old tricks in a new action, as well as a few new ones.

"The ICC has cleared my five different bowling varieties, including the doosra," Ajmal said.

"I will bowl all of my varieties and trouble batsmen with them.

"While serving the suspension and remodelling the action I have added two more varieties in my bowling arsenal.

"I can now also bowl seam up and for it I am thankful to Mohammad Akram who worked with me on it.

"The other delivery I have learned is the carrom ball, which works like doosra.

"Carrom ball is a lethal delivery in the death overs to counter batsmen’s slog shots, especially under the recent changes in ICC laws which don’t allow more than four fielders outside the circle." 

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Ajmal is also expected to return to English county side Worcestershire this winter after impressing the club last season.

Worcester director of cricket Steve Rhodes has left the door open for the Pakistan offie, and Ajmal is only too happy to accept, and said he would also be open to offers from KFC T20 Big Bash League clubs.

"The Worcestershire county didn’t sign any replacement as they were waiting for my bowling action to get clear," Ajmal said.

"Now that ICC has permitted me to resume bowling I will surely be heading to Worcestershire again.

"I am also open to other domestic leagues in world, including the Big Bash League in Australia, where I have played for Adelaide Strikers in the past.

"If they want me in the BBL, I will surely play it again."