Monday 15 September 2014 13:40, UK
Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal hopes to play in next year's World Cup after undergoing a rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy.
Ajmal has been suspended by the International Cricket Council after his elbow extension was found to be more than twice the allowable limit of 15 degrees during testing of his bowling action in Australia last month.
He will miss next month's series against Australia in the United Arab Emirates as a result, but has targeted a comeback at the World Cup in New Zealand and Australia which starts on February 14.
"I am sitting in front of you without any tension," said Ajmal in Lahore on Monday. "Whatever happened, it was disappointing for me, but now I am not disappointed at all. I am eyeing staging a strong comeback in the World Cup."
The Pakistan Cricket Board has hired former Test off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq to assist Ajmal in remodelling his bowling action and he is expected to join Ajmal at the academy early next week.
"He (Saqlain) is a legend and used to bowl exactly like me ... doosra, off-spin and everything," the 36-year-old added.
"He knows a lot and had done enough coaching. Hopefully I will get benefit from his experience."
The selectors have also started searching for a suitable replacement for Ajmal for the one-off Twenty20, three one-day internationals and two Test matches against Australia.
"We have lot of talent in our country," Ajmal said. "I am sure my replacement will perform better than me."
