COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) – Pakistan offspinner Mohammad Hafeez was reported for a suspected illegal bowling action for the second time in less than a year on Monday, and could face a 12-month ban from the sport.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement that match officials in the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka in Galle raised concerns about Hafeez’s action in their report that was handed to Pakistan’s team management.
Hafeez was banned from bowling in December after tests showed he was extending his elbow more than the permitted limit. He was cleared to bowl in April after remedial work.
The ICC said in its statement that Hafeez will need to undergo another test and if his bowling action is proven to be illegal again, he will be given a year-long ban from bowling.
Hafeez has so far taken 220 international wickets in all three formats – Tests, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 internationals.
He took two wickets in Sri Lanka’s first innings of the Galle Test, which Pakistan won by ten wickets on Sunday mainly because of their spin bowlers.
