Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq says team should move on from banned spinner Saeed Ajmal ahead of ODI series against Australia

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul Haq has stressed that they should move on from ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal's ban and try to fill his gap as they start a three-match ODI series against Australia on Tuesday.

Pakistan and Australia would reportedly focus on spin when they start a three-match ODI series in Sharjah on Tuesday, despite the absence of Ajmal, who is suspended over his suspect bowling action.

Pakistan have been hard pressed to compensate for the missing Ajmal, who has single-handedly won them matches in all three formats of the game in the last five years, The Dawn reported.

The off-spinner was reported for a suspect bowling action on Pakistan's August tour of Sri Lanka and was subsequently banned from international cricket after a bio-mechanic analysis found his action illegal.

Haq said that it is really difficult to fill Ajmal's gap because he has been the number one or two bowler in the one-day rankings, but added that if the off-spinner is not there they must try to fill his gap and move forward.

Pakistan has two left-arm spinners in the squad in Raza Hasan, who took 2-17 in Pakistan's six-wicket defeat in the lone Twenty20 in Dubai on Sunday, and the experienced Zulfiqar Babar, the report added.