Hafeez faces 12-month bowling ban after failing assessment

Published July 17, 2015
Legality of Hafeez's bowling action was questioned by match officials during Pakistan's firstTest against Sri Lanka. — AFP/File
Legality of Hafeez's bowling action was questioned by match officials during Pakistan's firstTest against Sri Lanka. — AFP/File

MUMBAI: Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been banned from bowling for 12 months after his action was found to be illegal for the second time since November, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Friday.

Former Pakistan captain Hafeez was initially reported after the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi in November and was subsequently banned after an independent analysis found his action to be illegal.

He was cleared to bowl in April after changing his action but the part-time off-spinner was again reported by match officials for a suspect action during last month's Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.

Read: Embattled Hafeez undergoes rigorous testing at Chennai lab

“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 legality of his bowling action was questioned by match officials during the team's first Test victory over Sri Lanka.

Following the match, officials reported Hafeez to the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions, after which he underwent independent assessment at the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai.

Read: Wrong approach by PCB led to Hafeez setback, says Zaka

According to the assessment, Hafeez's bowling action was declared illegal because his elbow extension exceeded 15 degrees while bowling.

Last week, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by six wickets to go 1-0 up in the five-match series after Mohammad Hafeez claimed his best bowling figures in One-day Internationals before returning to register his tenth hundred.

Opinion

Editorial

Confused state
Updated 05 Jan, 2025

Confused state

WHEN it comes to combatting violent terrorism, the state’s efforts seem to be suffering from a lack of focus. The...
Born into hunger
05 Jan, 2025

Born into hunger

OVER 18.2 million children — 35 every minute — were born into hunger in 2024, with Pakistan accounting for 1.4m...
Tourism triumph
05 Jan, 2025

Tourism triumph

THE inclusion of Gilgit-Baltistan in CNN’s list of top 25 destinations to visit in 2025 is a proud moment for...
Falling temperatures
Updated 04 Jan, 2025

Falling temperatures

Vitally important for stakeholders to acknowledge, understand politicians can still challenge opposing parties’ narratives without also being in a constant state of war with each other.
Agriculture census
04 Jan, 2025

Agriculture census

ACCURATE information relating to agricultural activities is vital for data-driven future planning, policymaking, as...
Biometrics for kids
04 Jan, 2025

Biometrics for kids

ALTHOUGH the move has caused a panic among weary parents mortified at the thought of carting their children to Nadra...