Tough road ahead for Hasnain, Pakistan cricket

Mohammad Hasnain is one of Pakistan’s brightest talents in the bowling department and has already produced some notable performances for the national team over the last two years.

However, February 03, 2022, became a day to remember for him, his fans and the cricketing community in Pakistan — for all the wrong reasons — as his action was found illegal and he was subsequently suspended.

How it started

Hasnain was reported during the Big Bash League (BBL) where he was representing Sydney Thunder. In the match against Sydney Sixers, their captain Moises Henriques was caught on stump mic saying ‘nice throw mate’. After that match, the right-arm pacer was reported by the match officials. Hasnain had an outstanding time in the BBL where he claimed seven wickets in five matches at an average of 15.71 along with an excellent economy-rate of just six runs per over.

After being reported, Hasnain underwent the test in Lahore on January 21^st and the report arrived late on Thursday just before the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2022 match between Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United. He was subsequently removed from the playing XI and was replaced by Sohail Tanvir.

The process:

As per the International Cricket Council (ICC), an illegal bowling action is where a player is throwing rather than bowling the ball. This is defined by the ICC as being where the player’s elbow extends by an amount of more than 15 degrees between their arm reaching the horizontal and the ball being released. Match officials in international cricket use the naked eye and their cricketing experience to point out a player may be using an illegal bowling action and if so, they will submit a report.

The player is then tested at an ICC Accredited Testing Centre, using state-of-the-art technology and supervised by experts in the science of human movement. This testing process provides an answer as to whether the player is using an Illegal Bowling Action and if so, they will be suspended from bowling until they have modified their bowling action and undertaken another test successfully.

PCB’s statement:

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a detailed statement on Friday, announced that Hasnain will remain suspended until he clears the bowling action.

“The PCB on Friday received a formal and detailed report from Cricket Australia on Mohammad Hasnain’s assessment test,” read the statement. “It stated that his elbow extension for good length delivery, full-length delivery, slow bouncer and bouncer exceeded the 15-degree limits. As per the Illegal Bowling Action Regulations, until Mohammad Hasnain clears his reassessment, he will remain suspended from bowling in international cricket.”

What happens now:

The PCB also confirmed that while the Karachi-born will not take any further part in the ongoing PSL, they will hire a bowling consultant who will work with him to modify his action.

“The PCB has discussed the report with its own bowling experts and is confident that the problem can be resolved,” read the statement. “The PCB will now appoint a bowling consultant who will work with Mohammad Hasnain so that he can rectify his bowling action and be ready for a reassessment. Mohammad Hasnain is an asset for Pakistan and one of the very few bowlers to consistently click 145kmp.”

“As such, and keeping his future and Pakistan’s interest at the forefront, the PCB, on the recommendation of the PSL 2022 Technical Committee, has decided he will not be allowed to continue to participate in the PSL. Instead, he will use this time to work with the PCB-appointed bowling consultant to modify his bowling action so that he can apply for a reassessment and become eligible to return to international cricket as quickly as practically possible.”

Previous bowlers reported for illegal action:

Hasnain is not the first Pakistani bowler to have been reported for having a suspected bowling action. Here is a list of some of the famous Pakistan bowlers who had to go through challenging times to continue bowling in international cricket.

Shoaib Akhtar:

Shoaib Akhtar became the first high-profile Pakistan bowler to be reported for an illegal bowling action in 1999. He received a sanction, but it was overturned almost immediately. Akhtar went on to play 46 Tests, 163 ODIs and 16 T20Is for Pakistan where he managed to claim 444 wickets.

Shoaib Malik:

Shoaib Malik was also reported for illegal bowling action. Interestingly, he was never reported by the on-field umpires but the ICC was reported by the officials concerned. Malik’s action was found partially legal and he was subsequently allowed to bowl his off-spin. However, he was banned from bowling a ‘Doosra’.

Shabbir Ahmed:

Shabbir Ahmed was reported for the first time in 1999. However, it was in 2005 when he received a 12-month ban for illegal bowling action. It was the fourth occasion when he was reported. Following the development, Shabbir went on to play just one match for the national team in 2007 against South Africa.

Saeed Ajmal:

Saeed Ajmal remained the most high-profile spinner to have been reported from Pakistan for illegal bowling action. The veteran spinner was banned from bowling in September 2014, just months ahead of the ICC World Cup in Australia. He was reported in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle in August earlier that year. At that time, Ajmal was the number one bowler in ODIs and was also among the top-10 bowlers in T20Is and Tests. The 44-year-old represented the Green Caps in 35 Tests, 113 ODIs and 64 T20Is where he managed to claim 447 wickets.

Mohammad Hafeez:

Mohammad Hafeez is another off-spinner from Pakistan who has been reported for illegal bowling action more than once. However, the 41-year-old managed to clear the tests on more than one occasion and resumed his bowling activities.

Testing times for Pakistan cricket and Hasnain:

The development will be a serious blow for Hasnain and for the PCB in their preparations for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup which is also scheduled to take place in Australia later this year. In conditions where the pace will be a weapon for any team, Hasnain will be an asset for the Men-in-Green and the fans will be hoping to see him in action very soon.