Shabbir, Malik reported for suspect bowling action

MULTAN—Pakistan’s Shabbir Ahmed and Shoaib Malik have been reported for suspect bowling action after the opening Test against England here, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said. The bowlers were reported by on-field umpires Billy Bowden and Simon Taufel, and TV umpire Asad Rauf, the ICC said in a statement on Thursday.
The Pakistani bowlers would be permitted to play international cricket pending the outcome of an independent analysis of their bowling action, ICC match-referee Roshan Mahanama said.
“Both players will be allowed to play international cricket, including the next Test against England, should they be selected,” he said.
“At any time during this period they are subject to being called on the field in accordance with the laws of cricket”.
Pakistan beat England by 22 runs in the first Test here to gain a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second Test starts at Faisalabad from November 20.
The match officials had concerns with the bowlers’ actions during certain stages of the first Test when viewing with the naked eye, the ICC statement said.
This was the second time Ahmed had been reported for his action this year. If he is found to be bowling with an illegal action he will be suspended from bowling in international cricket for 12 months, it added.
Paceman Ahmed, reported during the tour of the West Indies in May, was playing his first Test after being cleared by the ICC last month. He has so far bagged 51 wickets, including five here, in 10 Tests.
The 29-year-old was also reported in 1998, after which former West Indian paceman Michael Holding remodelled his action.
Off-spinner Malik was last reported in October 2004.
The umpires here said they had been satisfied with Ahmed’s action when watching him bowl in the nets and during the early stages of the match, according to an ICC statement.
They reported the player after noting a deterioration in his action from the third day of the match, in particular when bowling the ‘effort’ ball and short-pitched deliveries, which they suspected may be illegal.
The report will be handled under the ICC’s revised bowling review process introduced in March 2005.
Both the bowlers will now undergo independent analysis of their actions by a member of the ICC’s panel of human movement specialists, the ICC said.
The analysis involves a detailed comparison between the action of the bowler in the laboratory and the action he used in the match in which he was reported.
This will take place as soon as practically possible, and within a maximum period of 21 days from receipt by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of formal notice of the reports by the ICC.
The PCB said they were in touch with the ICC and would deal the issue as per the rules.
“There is a process of dealing with suspect bowling action and to say that Shabbir will face a one-year ban is too early,” PCB official Salim Altaf said.—Agencies