Hafeez seeks new bowling test

Pakistan are seeking to have the bowling action of allrounder Mohammad Hafeez cleared by the International Cricket Council in time for next month's ICC Cricket World Cup.

According to Pakistan news outlet Dawn, the Pakistan Cricket Board has officially requested the ICC re-test Hafeez's action in the first week of February in the hope that he will be cleared for the tournament, which starts on February 14.

The off-spinner was suspended in December when it was determined that his action exceeded the 15-degree limit set by the ICC. He had been reported during Pakistan's Test series against New Zealand in November and then failed an official test at an ICC-accredited biomechanics testing laboratory in Loughborough, England.

Hafeez had also been reported when playing for the Lahore Lions at the Oppo T20 Champions League Twenty20 in October, but as that was an event not run by the ICC the sanction did not apply to international cricket.

It was reported earlier this month that Hafeez had failed an unofficial test at a lab in Chennai, despite undergoing remedial work on his action. A PCB official told Dawn that the tests revealed the 34-year-old bent his arm at angles that varied from 12 degrees to 19 degrees.

With less than a month before the World Cup gets underway, Pakistan are understandably keen to have the off-spinner's action cleared in time for cricket's showpiece event.

With Hafeez with the Pakistan squad in New Zealand, his testing would take place at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. Cricket Australia's $29m facility was made an ICC-accredited centre for testing bowling actions last year.

Hafeez has taken 122 wickets in 153 ODIs and, despite the ban, is ranked No.11 in the world ODI bowling rankings and 15th in Twenty20s.

A successful test would allow him to bowl in international cricket immediately. If he fails the test, the ICC has the power to specify a period of time before he is able to have his action re-tested.

Hafeez was this month included in Pakistan's 15-man squad for the World Cup and will likely be retained in the squad as a batsman even if he is not permitted to bowl.

A notable absentee from Pakistan's squad was star off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, who was suspended for an illegal action in September. He has undergone extensive remedial work on his action in a bid to be ready to bowl for the World Cup, but withdrew from contention after he failed to bowl with an elbow extension within the 15-degree limit.