Hafeez: All bowlers should be tested by ICC

News

Cricket365
December 2, 2014

Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has called on the ICC to test all bowlers and not just those with suspect actions, after was he reported by the umpires after the first Test of the recently completed series against New Zealand.

Hafeez was sent to England at the end of November, missing the second Test, and was put through his paces at Loughbourough University, before returning to the UAE for the third match. He appealed for consistency from officials.

Hafeez said: "If these rules are necessary for international cricket, they should be applied to all bowlers. Those who pass should be allowed to bowl, those who do not, they should work to rectify their mistakes. There shouldn't be any 'pick-and-choose' method.

"I have been bowling for the last 11 years and it's an integral part of my cricket. I am incomplete if I am not bowling. So I hope I will be able to come out of this and will be able to bring my bowling within the current rules and regulations. There is a protocol and you have to go through it."

He returned to the series and scored a Test-best 197 in the first innings in Sharjah. Pakistan went on to lose the Test and share the series 1-1.

It has been very productive couple of months for Pakistan. After losing the ODI and T20 series, they whitewashed Australia in the two-Test series and also outplayed New Zealand in the first Test.

Hafeez recalled: "There was a realisation among us that we were not playing good cricket. We accepted our failures and realised we needed to play better.

"That willingness to improve really helped when we entered the Test series against Australia. All the team members played to the situation, except today. But we can say that the last six weeks have been very successful.

"The batsmen scored a lot of runs. What was even better was to see the inexperienced attack take 20 wickets. I think it was very important for the future of Pakistan cricket."