KARACHI: Following the suspension of the country’s top spinner Saeed Ajmal by the ICC over his bowling action, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has come down hard on bowlers in the ongoing AlBaraka Bank presents Haier T20 Cup here.

No less than eight bowlers have already been reported by umpires for suspect action with the tournament being just seven days old. With another five more days left, this tally could increase further since the PCB has instructed the umpires not to show any leniency in the clean-up drive after Ajmal was hauled up by the International Cricket Council.

Among the high-profile casualties reported so far are medium-pacer Junaid Zia, the 30-year-old son of former PCB chairman Lt Gen Tauqir Zia and former Pakistan player who played four ODIs against Bangladesh in 2003, and current Pakistan limited-overs batsman Sohaib Maqsood.

Junaid was reported by on-field umpires Aftab Gillani and Riazuddin during Lahore Lions’ opening Group ‘C’ fixture against Dera Murad Jamali Ibexes on Monday.

Sohaib, who occasionally bowls off-spinners, plays for Multan Tigers. The Tigers are already through to the semi-finals.

Among others reported thus far are slow left-armer Nayyar Abbas of Sialkot Stallions, paceman Ataullah and off-spinner Jahanzeb Khan of Bahawalpur Stags, slow left-armer Faraz Ahmed Khan of Karachi Dolphins, Dera Murad Jamali Ibexes; paceman Nadeem Javed and off-spinner Usman Malik of Lahore Eagles.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2014