Hafeez cleared to bowl in T20s

Pakistan allrounder Mohammad Hafeez will continue to bowl in Pakistan's domestic competitions despite being banned from bowling at the international level for an illegal action.

Hafeez was given a 12-month ban by the International Cricket Council in Julybut will bowl for the Lahore Whites in the country's Twenty20 competition. Lahore play their first match today (September 8) against Islamabad Region at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Despite the international ban, it is legal for Hafeez to bowl in domestic cricket with permission, which has been granted.

"A bowler suspended in international cricket can bowl in domestic cricket with the permission of his home board," an ICC official confirmed to cricket.com.au

"The logic behind this provision is to allow the home board and the player concerned the opportunity to monitor improvement in his bowling action in a match situation, and when happy, apply for reassessment."

Hafeez was first reported for a suspect bowling action in November last year after Pakistan's first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi. He was suspended from bowling in December after tests at the Loughborough University in Leicestershire, but was cleared in April after re-testing at Chennai's Sri Ramachandra University.

However, he was again reported after Pakistan's Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in June and returned to the Chennai facility, where testing revealed his elbow extension was beyond the 15-degee limit, incurring the 12-month ban.

Quick single: Hafeez banned for 12 months

Hafeez can not apply for another reassessment of his action before his 12-month ban is served, but can continue to bowl in domestic competitions with permission.

The PCB's permission means the 34-year-old, who is still No.2 in the ICC's official ranking of T20 allrounders, will also be eligible to play in the much-awaited Pakistan Super League next February in Doha.

As a former T20 captain of Pakistan and one of the country's most experienced players in the format, he is expected to captain one of the five super league teams.

Hafeez would not, however, be eligible to bowl in the KFC Big Bash League should he again be contracted by a club, with Cricket Australia adopting the ICC's stringent policy on bowling actions for all levels of domestic cricket.

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Hafeez made one appearance for the Melbourne Stars in 2014 // Getty Images

Hafeez had previously been contracted by the Melbourne Renegades for BBL|03 but a call-up to the national squad prevented him from playing.

However, he did make one appearance – for cross-town rivals the Melbourne Stars – as an overseas replacement player for Sri Lankan Lasith Malinga in the one game in January 2014, scoring four runs at No.3 and bowling three wicket-less overs for 22 runs.