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ABU DHABI: Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been reported with a suspected illegal bowling action during the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said Thursday.
“The match officials' report, which was handed over to the Pakistan team manager Moin Khan, cited concerns about the legality of the 34-year-old's bowling action,” the ICC said.
Pakistan won the match by 248 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Hafeez's bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, one-day matches and T20Is.
As per the ICC rules on dealing with the suspect action, Hafeez is required to undergo testing within 21 days, and, during this period, Hafeez is permitted to continue bowling in international cricket until the results of the testing are known.
Hafeez is the second Pakistani behind Saeed Ajmal, also an off-spinner, to be reported in a major crackdown on bowlers with suspect actions the ICC launched in June this year.
Besides Ajmal, Sri Lanka's Sachitra Senanayake, New Zealand's Kane Williamson, Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi and Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya -- all off-spinners - were reported and subsquently suspended to allow remedial work on their actions.
Zimbabwe match referee Andy Pycrot was the common official in both the Ajmal and Hafez cases. He was also the match referee when Ajmal was reported during the Galle Test against Sri Lanka in August this year.
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On DawnNews
Comments (53) Closed
Nov 13, 2014 04:18pm
You have got to be kidding!
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Nov 13, 2014 04:19pm
Oh boy here we go again...are only Pakistani bowlers reported for suspected action?
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Nov 13, 2014 04:20pm
Now its Hafeez Turn,,,,,,, Dont' Worry ICC we have number of talent like yasir shah , imran khan and many more............
You ban on Players but not on our success
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Nov 13, 2014 04:26pm
Surely we have to check if this umpire is not executing orders from a particular rich board? Isnt it funny that none of the Indian spinners are reported. I am also expecting, Rahat, Babar, Yasir and Imran to be reported as well. Please cricket fans, wake up and smell the coffee.
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Nov 13, 2014 04:27pm
Pakistan Fans... nothing to be emotional. He looks like stopping during the delivery and also chucking a bit. No harm to go under the Test ...
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Nov 13, 2014 04:37pm
in fact Hafeez should have been reported and banned much much earlier for lack of batting skills and for being good at nothing. This would have given a chance to a more deserving talent and we would have a true opening specialist batsman by now.
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Nov 13, 2014 04:45pm
All chuckers need to be bannd..... Whether from india aus or eng.......
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Nov 13, 2014 04:54pm
@Ali yes I agree with you..you are a true cricket lover..rules are rules,if there is no rules game will destroy and looses its charm..ICC should banned all bowlers whether he is from India,Australia,England or Pakistan (who are not fit in 15 degree rules..
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Nov 13, 2014 04:57pm
When Ajmal was reported I commented that Hafeez would be next target......They will continue to target Pakistan at the behest of one powerful and narrow minded cricket board.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:00pm
After the recent ICC crackdown, if he had a suspect action, he should have been reported in the first match he played. Why wasn't he reported during the series again Australia?
Why now? This is poor officiating.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:03pm
@Ali Agree, Lets not jump to any conclusions . Ajmal was bowling with an illegal action and hence was correctly reported. Hafeez has always paused before delivering the ball and as per the new rules regarding umpires discretion, it can cause a few problems. Personally, his hundred on a flat track has no bearing. He has got a failed technique on handling swing bowling on fast pitches. As was the case in Sa, hewill fail If selected for the WC in Aus. Afridi and Hafeez do not deserve a place in the side for the WC. I hope Hafeez is banned and we can give Zulfi or Yasir a chance. Regarding team selection for the WC, i would say that whilst Younis Khan ODI record is dismal, on his current form he should be used to open the innings with Shehzad, with Umark Akmal and FAWAD at no 3 and 4.Misbah at 5 manzoor at 6 and Keeper and Sarfraz at 7.We need just one spinner in the squad as the pitches are fast. Irfan is the only quick that deserves a place, not Wahab Riaz. Junaid is ok and not in Amir's league. He has not had any outstanding spells. I would use Bhatti and Anwar Ali as well. Afridi,Hafeez and the other two roaches Kamran Akmal and Shoaib malik should not be selected!
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Nov 13, 2014 05:13pm
@kuldeep Unfortunately, its easier said then done, when you have a very jellous board managing the ICC, its hard for them to stomach the success Pakistan has had recently. I am a cricket fan, and get happy when even India win a really competitive match, but sorry to say this that BCCI is not sincere to cricket and cricket will only go down the drain if they are not stopped.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:14pm
@Ali Akhtar...Bang on!! How come that Ashwin is not reported...??? Silly me!! I forgot that he is from India....
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Nov 13, 2014 05:15pm
Hafeez's action is questionable to say the least.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:18pm
Come on guys. This is not about country. Its so obvious that there is a flaw in the action of anybody who tried to copy Saqlain and bowl like he did. Harbhajan too was called for chucking. How many good Indian spinners are there? Just Ashwin, look at his action, his arm is as straight as it gets and doesn't bend ( not that he is too effetive outside India). Think with your brains here and dont be emotional.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:32pm
now after winning a test match from kiwis(white boys) this news makes ICC look like a big loser. ICC should also make sure may be hafeez's batting is also illegal. U see when he plays that cover drive his elbow is not 90 degrees with the bat.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:33pm
A weak process opted by ICC. All bowlers should be regularly screened during matches by installing machines.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:53pm
If hafeez action is against the rules of icc,he deserve ban..if he is ok than icc will not going to stop him..cricket fans must realise the rules and regulation of games..game is the above player.
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Nov 13, 2014 05:55pm
Ashwin??? why hasn't he been reported as yet.
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Nov 13, 2014 06:01pm
No one should be surprised, i doubted long ago that Hafiz also has suspected bowling action, i noticed against the Australia series he tried to straightened his arm but against Kiwi he was carried away, thought that it is OK
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Nov 13, 2014 06:03pm
@vinie you are absolutely right, rule is rule, i even believe had Bhajji or Murli were bowling in this scenario they would have been also called for suspected action
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Nov 13, 2014 06:04pm
Guys just watch the match and see the action for yourself. No point, cribbing about it. But that's how you have grown amongst conspiracy theories!!
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Nov 13, 2014 06:18pm
@Nisar - dear Nasir. We are equally sad with the turn of events and just before the World Cup. Indian play spinners well so there is no logic that INDIA will do this. Your argument that why no Indian spinner is in the list then I would say that can u name any quality off spinner in current Indian team. It is Australia and England who are worried of off break bowlers.
Pakistan is superb team and they have already proved that. We also want to see ajmal and Amir back in action.
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Nov 13, 2014 06:19pm
well this illegal bowling action thing is becoming a joke. If you can't face a bowler from one of the lesser beloved board, send him for suspect action.haven't heard of any player from a certain '' big brother's band. this targeting of smaller boards won't help the game of cricket.
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Nov 13, 2014 06:23pm
@Nasim Khan - bhajji and Muralidharan were reported and they went for tests also by icc. But were cleard. However changing the rule just before world cup is not correct. Ajmal and hafeez have been bowling for years. If there was some thing wrong then why did icc ignore it. Why suddenly so much urgency before world cup.
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Nov 13, 2014 06:27pm
Sir,
Another bowler outside the big 3 has been reported and I am forced to believe that either the International Cricket Council has lost its credibility or the the bowlers of big 3 are exempted unofficially from testing.
In any case the ICC must clear its image before the fans start to doubt it credibility and fairness for good.
Regards
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Nov 13, 2014 06:29pm
@Farhan
because he doesn't chuck....
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Nov 13, 2014 06:35pm
What a joke?
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Nov 13, 2014 06:45pm
As soon as one of the big three bowler is reported ICC will look at the rules for suspect action. All this is happening just before the WC 2015 and most ODI countries are losing their match winners to win the WC 2015 and only one of the big three emerge as possible winners. .
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Nov 13, 2014 07:13pm
Everybody can go on whining about this. If it is illegal then of course it needs to be addressed. But what about actions like that of Malinga? Doesn't the arm need to come at a certain angle OVER the shoulder? Go back an look at some of the deliveries of Brett Lee. Judge for yourself. I am thinking of having a medical procedure on my son to either make his arm like Shoaib Akhtar's or his wrist like Murali's.
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Nov 13, 2014 07:32pm
@Farhan He is from the board of untouchables.
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Nov 13, 2014 07:52pm
@Farhan
Pakistan cricket is known nursery of chuckers, Shoaib Akhtar even Wasim was under suspicion.
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Nov 13, 2014 07:56pm
Funny, only yesterday I was watching the game with my son. We both agreed something was suspect. Please don't jump to conclusions thinking we are wronged by the World at large every time something like this happens. Although I do agree match referees are usually biased against the Asian nations.
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Nov 13, 2014 07:56pm
We knew that this was coming that's why they held him away from the ODI series. But I guess they thought test cricket he can survive, apparently "NOT".
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Nov 13, 2014 07:58pm
Ironically, all the banned players so far do not come from any of the "Big Three" ICC rulers. Can we all smell something fishy?
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Nov 13, 2014 08:11pm
why icc suddenly started the new rules just before world cup?....oh sorry i forgot ''Big three'' they dont have any good spinners
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Nov 13, 2014 08:18pm
I could not stand Hafeez. What a blessing having him reported. I hope he fails the test and gets banned. Plenty of talent waiting to be tried out.
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Nov 13, 2014 08:26pm
ashwin why not he??....think guys its big three
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Nov 13, 2014 08:49pm
@sheraz . Bro u really r silly for comparing the actions of ashwin and hafeez. Though I believe ashwin should be out of the team coz of his performance.
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Nov 13, 2014 08:52pm
@Farhan because his action is not suspicious. As simple as that.
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Nov 13, 2014 08:56pm
Well guys all the comments make it clear that there is a conspiracy and u hate everyone. So why not pull out the Pak team. Everybody wud have a cool time. U wudnt have anybody to complaint against and the world wudnt have to listen to a new conspiracy theory everyday.
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Nov 13, 2014 09:43pm
@vinie - What "rules are rules"? They have already 'bent' the bending rules before, so they are not set in stone. Many experts and ex-cricketers (even Gavaskar) are saying this purge is going over the top. There are concerns even for the equipment they are using to check the bent arm.
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Nov 13, 2014 09:45pm
@Farhan :- He will stop his dusra, if he is smart
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Nov 13, 2014 09:45pm
What about the result. Hafeez was instrumental in the victory. If it were olympics, the medal had to be returned. So this test victory is null and void
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Nov 13, 2014 10:37pm
There cannot be a more blatant discrimination than this.
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Nov 14, 2014 12:51am
well if you check my post on cricinfo and here before the start of AUS series i predicted this ..... this is all to do with WC Pakistan should have not bowled the hafeez in any of the test and ODI's before WC .........but now its too late
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Nov 14, 2014 04:05am
@Nisar What coffee? U mean India is conspiring? We like to weave conspiracy theories in every thing. Nothing new. Indian bowlers are also being reported. Besides, they don't bowl doosra. We do.
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Nov 14, 2014 04:14am
@sheraz Bro. Being jealous will not work this time. How come PCB is not rich? We have crazy fans. Our nation is cricket crazy. And still we are cricket starving and PCB is broke. Why?
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Nov 14, 2014 06:34am
crib, crib and crib.. even if Ajmal was bowling with 40 degree angle.. then also crib :)
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Nov 14, 2014 07:30am
A match played in Abudhabi, against NZ, a match referee from Zimbabwe and umpires from Lanka and Australia. So, where does India figure in this scenario ? I guess Hafiz is a world class spinner who would make his team to win in Adelaide next year on 15th Feb by taking a 5 wicket haul and that's a conspiracy by BCCI.
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Nov 14, 2014 07:30am
Blessing in disguise!
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Nov 14, 2014 07:47am
@Akil Akhtar Since most Pakistani learn bowling with tap balls, maybe, they all adopt similar bowling action! Every country and city has a culture... sometimes, good -- sometimes, bad!
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Nov 14, 2014 08:01am
To all Pakistani friends are you crazy or what, blame everything on Indians, it's quite clear that he is a chucker, you don't want to believe won't change it, and please make a list of your grievances and go to UN, may be this time they will heed to your cries, cry babies
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