In fact, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) itself has been pro-active in this matter, forming a five-member committee which included ICC Elite Panel Umpire Aleem Dar and Pakistan’s spin bowling coach, Mushtaq Ahmad, to weed out suspect actions before they reach the international stage
However, the news of Hafeez being reported comes as a huge blow to Pakistan, especially in the wake of Saeed Ajmal’s suspension and the bleak outlook on his return to the team
Our bowling attack over the last five years has been based on our spinners, and Hafeez and Ajmal formed two thirds of the triumvirate (third being Shahid Afridi) largely responsible for winning games for us that the batting side seemed intent on losing
However, with the World Cup 2015 fast approaching, we are left in a perilous position where only one of the three is available
Yet Hafeez’s position may not be as desperate as that of Ajmal’s
While Ajmal had 30-35 deliveries reported and results eventually showed his average elbow extension to be twice the limit, Hafeez only had a mere four deliveries reported during the first Test versus New Zealand
And while Ajmal is an unorthodox spinner, Hafeez is a relatively straight-forward off-spinner
On the flip side, other orthodox spinners such as Kane Williamson have also been suspended from bowling and Hafeez’s argument of “nothing is different from what I have been bowling in the last 11 years” will not stick since this is an unprecedented clampdown on bowling actions; after all, even Ajmal was cleared back in 2009
Moreover, since Hafeez possesses no variations, it is his regular off-spin that has been called into question
So unlike Marlon Samuels, who only had his quicker delivery banned, if Hafeez is found to exceed the limit then he will be banned from bowling altogether
There were some in the cricketing circle, such as Wasim Akram, who suggested after Hafeez’s action was reported during the Champions League that we should preserve him for the World Cup due to his worth as an all-rounder in the ODI team
However, just as he denied there was anything wrong with his technique after being badly exposed by Dale Steyn, Hafeez dismissed suspicions about his action maintaining it had remained the same throughout his career and participated in the recent Test series against Australia and New Zealand
Perhaps it would have been more prudent for Pakistan to take a leaf out of West Indies’s books, when they withdrew Sunil Narine from their tour of India to work on his action after he had also been reported during the Champions League
Such valuable time could have been used to work on Hafeez’s action and ensure his participation in the World Cup as an all-rounder
It seems it was a risk that was clearly not worth taking if it results in his suspension
If anything, it was a surprise he wasn’t reported during the Australia series and that’s a statement not on Hafeez’s action but on the movement to eradicate off-spin from the game
Despite his brilliant performance in the first Test against New Zealand, there will always be those who question Hafeez’s place in the Test team – a format where specialists are more in demand – but it is a fool’s errand to question his place in the ODI and T20 teams
Hafeez is second in the ICC rankings for ODI all-rounders, and first in T20s
All-rounders like Hafeez are a priceless commodity in ODI cricket – they can bat at the top of the order and bowl their full quota of 10 overs if required and they also allow the captain to play an extra batsman if needed
Simply speaking, Hafeez is a captain’s dream in ODI cricket and should he be banned from bowling, it will completely disrupt the balance of our ODI team heading into the World Cup
While Ajmal could be replaced by another spinner (albeit not by one as good), Pakistan simply does not have any other all-rounders to provide the balance Hafeez does in ODI cricket
In his interview before departing for his tests in Loughborough, Hafeez told reporters how he considered himself a batsman, not an off-spinner, and never rated his own bowling
Although this maybe a defence mechanism in the event he is only able to participate as a batsman, it seems a bit strange that Hafeez does not rate his own bowling when he is seventh in the ICC Bowlers Rankings in ODIs
In fact, were it not for his bowling, Hafeez may not have thrived or even lasted these last four years in international cricket
For long stretches, when his batting has let him down, it has been his bowling that has ensured his place in the team
Should the unthinkable happen and he gets suspended from bowling, serious questions will need to be asked about Hafeez’s place in the team for the World Cup
Plenty of decent techniques have been exposed in Australia before and Hafeez’s is suspect to say the least
His inclusion as a specialist batsman would mean Pakistan would be devoid of a sixth bowler and/or a batsman light
Barely a year on from surrendering the T20 captaincy, Hafeez could lose his place in the World Cup team and Pakistan’s World Cup hopes will be scuppered before they even begin
The importance of November, 24 cannot be overstated
| Date: | 23-Nov-2014 | Reference: | View Original Link |
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