In order to help Mohammad Hafeez clear his upcoming bowling action Test, the Pakistan Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has hired bowling coach Carl Crowe.
A 12-month ban on Hafeez from bowling in international cricket ended on 12 July and as per ICC rules, Hafeez is now eligible to appear in a bowling assessment test.
Crowe, a UK-based bowling coach, has already started working with Hafeez during Pakistan’s warm-up match against Worcestershire. Previously Crowe had worked with West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine, who later cleared his bowling action test conducted by the International Cricket Council.
“Crowe has worked a lot with West Indian spinner Sunil Narine and the results were good. Crowe’s name was recommended to us also by the team management,” a PCB official told the Press Trust of India.
“He was not working on his bowling action due to his knee injury which has now improved a lot and he himself is keen to play and bowl in the one-day series,” the official said.
PCB hopes to get Hafeez cleared before the start of the one-day series against England. Hafeez is expected to fill in the crucial all-rounder slot, which lies vacant after Shahid Afridi’s retirement.
The former Pakistan captain was initially reported after the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in November 2014 and as a result, he was banned after an independent analysis found his action to be illegal. The allrounder was then cleared to bowl in April last year after remodeling his action. However, he was again reported by match officials for a suspect action during a Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle in June 2015.
“Hafeez is entitled to appeal any procedural aspect of an independent assessment that has led to this automatic suspension,” the ICC said in a statement.
“However, only after the expiry of this one-year period will he be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action.”
The part-time bowler had been a very useful bowler for his team before his bowling action was reported as he took 52 wickets in 47 Tests and another 129 ODI and 46 wickets in T20 Internationals.