PSL 2020: Mohammad Hafeez cleared to bowl

Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has been granted permission to bowl again after he passed an assessment test following his suspension to bowl in ECB tournaments. The off-spinner has come under the scanner for his bowling action time and again.

He was reported in a Vitality T20 Blast game last August. He underwent a test at the Loughborough University which revealed Hafeez’s action was illegal. His elbow extension went beyond the permissible 15 degrees.

Subsequently, he also underwent an independent test at an ICC accredited centre in Lahore which cleared him and concluded that his elbow extension didn’t exceed the 15-degree mark. Hence he was cleared to bowl. With PSL knocking on the doors, Hafeez will be relieved after passing the assessment test.

As per the agreements between cricketing boards across the globe, Hafeez was banned from bowling in international games. He was also barred from bowling in all competitions organized by other boards including the PSL. However, with this clearance, Hafeez could be a lethal weapon with the ball.

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The all-rounder was first reported for an illegal action way back in 2005 during a tri-series in Australia. Nine years later he was reported yet again during a Champions League T20 match and again a year later against New Zealand in a Test match. He was subsequently banned from bowling for a year after being reported twice during a calendar year.

Despite returning in 2016 after clearing the test, Hafeez was reported again in October 2017 during an ODI against Sri Lanka and returned again in May 2018 after getting clearance from the Loughborough University.