The spinning all-rounder of Pakistan, Mohammad Hafeez will travel to India on Monday in a bid to have his bowling action cleared in due time for the World Cup to be held next year.
The 34-year old bowler’s bowling action was reported as suspect during the first test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi last month and due to that he was subsequently suspended after a bio-mechanical test found the bowling action to be illegal.
Under the International Cricket Council rules, bowlers are permitted to straighten their bowling arm by a maximum of 15 degrees, which has been established as a point at which any straightening will become visible to the naked eye.
Hafeez’s suspension from international cricket was perhaps the second major blow to the Pakistan cricket after their frontline bowler, Saeed Ajmal has been ruled out of the World Cup due to his illegal bowling action. He is serving a ban from international cricket and has yet not been able to fully rectify his bowling action.
Ajmal, in the last week, announced his withdrawal from the World Cup squad as he thought that his rectification work will not be completed before the 7th of January, which is the deadline day to announce the 15-man squad for the World Cup to be held in Australia-New Zealand in February-March, 2015.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has said that Hafeez has worked hard for his rectification in bowling action with the former spinner, Saqlain Mushtaq and the spin bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmed.
The PCB also stated that Hafeez’s action should be tested in laboratory accredited by ICC after his remedial work with the coaches in Lahore. Thus, on that note, Hafeez is being sent to Chennai for and unofficial testing for his bowling action.
If Hafeez manages to clear himself in the unofficial test, PCB will apply for an official reassessment for his bowling action with the ICC, possibly by the 3rd of January, 2015.
Hafeez has been one of the pick of the bowlers for Pakistan for the past couple of years. He has got 122 wickets in 153 ODIs. Also, he has got 4,456 runs. His dual role is pretty much important to balance the Pakistan’s side in One Day internationals.