Pakistani bowler to return in action after exile

In a major development, the governing body of international cricket has certified Pakistan pacer Mohammad Hasnain's bowling action. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on June 9 (Thursday) that the speedster's bowling action was legitimate since the degree of elbow bending was within the ICC bowling rules and regulations.

Hasnain was barred from playing any kind of cricket after failing a bowling action test on January 21, 2022, at a governing body of international cricket testing facility in Lahore. The claim was confirmed and evaluated by an independent expert from Cricket Australia (CA), who called Hasnain's bowling action 'illegal.'

Following a reassessment by the PCB, the board determined that Hasnain's elbow extension was within the 15-degree threshold of tolerance, and he may now participate and bowl in all forms of cricket, including international and domestic cricket, throughout the world.

After making a few tweaks to his bowling action, the right-arm pacer was assessed on May 21 at the same testing facility in Lahore. He was validated by specialists before receiving a clean chit from the PCB on June 9 (Thursday). Hasnain's bowling action was noticed while he was playing in Cricket Australia's Big Bash League in January.

In international cricket, the 22-year-old has played eight One-Day Internationals for Pakistan, taking 12 wickets at an average of 37.91. In the 50-over format, he also had a five-wicket haul. He has played 18 T20Is for the Men in Green and has taken 17 wickets at an average of 30.70. He has yet to represent Pakistan in the game's longest format.

Now that his action has been cleared, he will look to perform well on the domestic circuit and re-enter the national squad. In the meantime, Pakistan will play the second ODI against the West Indies on June 10. Multan Cricket Ground will host the match. Pakistan won the first match of the series. The team captain, Babar Azam, hit a stunning century to help his team win by five wickets. Haris Rauf, Imam ul Haq, and Mohammad Rizwan also did well in the match.