ICC-PCB on collision course over Ajmal rejection from ICC list

Lahore: The ICC and PCB appeared to be headed for a confrontation after the governing body rejected the plea to include off-spinner Saeed Ajmal in the final list of nominees for the ICC awards.

The ICC informed the PCB that their request to reconsider including Ajmal`s name in the final list of nominees for the ICC awards could not be entertained as the process to select the final nominees was based on voting by experts. "They have informed us that they can`t include Ajmal now as all the nominees for the different awards were voted in by a panel of experts. But we feel this process is flawed," said PCB media manager, Nadeem Sarwar. "We have already sent another letter to the ICC making it clear we are not happy with the process and we want it to be reviewed in the first place," Sarwar added. The omission of Ajmal`s name from the shortlist of nominees for the three major ICC annual awards i.E `Test Cricketer of the year`, `International player of the year` and `ODI player of the year` has caused surprise even among former greats from other test playing nations. Ajmal who took 72 wickets in 12 tests in the qualifying period reviewed by the ICC panel of experts to select nominees and shortlist them has not been considered for any category although he was named as the only spinner in the ICC Test team of the year. Sri Lanka`s Kumar Sangkarra, South Africans Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander and Australian captain, Michael Clarke have been nominated for `Test Cricketer of the Year` award. "We sent them all the figures to argue Ajmal`s case and we just don`t think that there is any way he should not have been nominated for any of the categories," Sarwar said. "We have asked the ICC to review the entire process used to nominate players and we feel instead of voting this process must be performance based," he added. The ICC says it panel of 30 experts from different countries including former Test players and mediapersons vote for the shortlist of players for different categories in the awards which this year would be held in Sri Lanka on September 15 before the start of the ICC T20 World Cup. Sarwar said the PCB didn`t agree with the voting process as Ajmal`s performance spoke for itself. Pakistan`s umpire. Aleem Dar has been winning the ICC award for `Best Umpire of the Year` for the last two successive years. PTI