Hafeez fails bowling action test in Chennai

“Yes Hafeez has failed the unofficial bowling action in Chennai,” PCB spokesman confirmed to ARYNEWS.tv.

The ICC’s last date of submitting final squad for World Cup is January 7 and selectors will now be considering Hafeez’s batting skills only along with other World Cup aspiring openers.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was hoping that Hafeez will have positive results in the unofficial test and then it would apply for the official ICC test in order to have Hafeez cleared for bowling for the important World Cup assignment.

However, now with the bad news regarding the negative results of the test, PCB will not be taking any chances of going for official test soon. The gamble will be too big because if Hafeez fails the official test, he would not be able to take another official for an year, hence would not in any way be able to bowl in international cricket for at least an year.

But there is a remote chance for Hafeez to go in the World Cup as an all-rounder. He could work hard to remodel his action for another month and then apply for official test few days before the World Cup and keep his fingers crossed for positive results.

However, selectors would be preparing for the worst regarding the player, and may consider him only as a specialist batsman, before announcing the final squad for the World Cup by January 7.

Hafeez was the second Pakistani off spinner after spin maestro Saeed Ajmal to be suspended for an illegal action last year. Ajmal has already pulled out of the World Cup as further work is needed for him to remodel his action.