Dubai: Pakistan off-spinning all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket following remedial work to his action, the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Wednesday.
According to a statement from the ICC, Hafeez, who has been suspended from bowling due to an illegal action three times, has remodelled his bowling style so that the amount of elbow extension now falls within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations.
Hafeez underwent a reassessment at Loughborough University last month and subsequently had his suspension lifted by the game’s global governing body.
However, the ICC has allowed match officials to report Hafeez in the future if they believe he is displaying a suspect action and not reproducing the legal action he showed at his reassessment.
The ICC further said that match officials will be provided with images and video footage of the bowler’s remodelled legal bowling action.
Hafeez, a veteran of 200 ODIs, 81 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and 50 Tests, was first suspended from bowling in December 2014 after being reported in during Pakistan’s Test series against New Zealand in the UAE.
Following remedial work on his bowling action, he was re-assessed and permitted to resume bowling in April 2015. The 37-year-old was then suspended from bowling in July 2015 for 12 months following a second suspension within 24 months. He was re-assessed and permitted to resume bowling in November 2016.
Hafeez was reported for the third time during the Abu Dhabi ODI against Sri Lanka in October 2017 and was subsequently suspended in November 2017 after an independent assessment revealed he had employed an illegal bowling action.
