Mohammad Hafeez has been cleared to resume bowling in international cricket following remedial work to his action.
The Pakistan off-spinning all-rounder, 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 Illegal Bowling Regulations.
Hafeez underwent a reassessment at Loughborough University in April and has subsequently has his suspension lifted by the ICC.
According to an ICC statement, Match Officials are still at liberty 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. Match officials will be provided with images and video footage of the bowler’s remodeled legal bowling action.
Hafeez, a veteran of 200 ODIs, 81 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, who hit 57* in Pakistan’s Champions Trophy final victory over India in 2017, 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.
The news came on the same day it was revealed that Windies’ Ronsford Beaton has been suspended from bowling in international cricket due to an illegal action.
