An interesting situation developed during the first ODI between Pakistan and New Zealand on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi, when Kiwi batsman Ross Taylor objected to the ‘remodelled’ bowling action of Pakistani spinner Mohammad Hafeez.
While facing Hafeez, Taylor objected to the bowling action in the 26th over of New Zealand innings. The Kiwi batsman told the umpire that the Pakistani spinner was bowling ‘doosra’ — a leg break bowled with an apparent off-break action to deceive the batsman — which he was not allowed to bowl.
So @RossLTaylor complaining about Hafeez bowling action ?? It looks Taylor is not happy with @MHafeez22 action
NOTE: Hafeez was suspended three time by ICC in 2014, 2015 and 2017
Courtesy @PTVSp0rts @ICC #PAKvNZ #Hafeez #RossTaylor #ICC pic.twitter.com/hrX6U59caB
— Sultan Mehmood Khan (@smk_77) November 7, 2018
Taylor made the gesture at the end of Hafeez’s first over, when he seemed to look directly at the umpires – or his partner at the non-striker’s end Tom Latham – and mimicked delivering the ball with a bent arm. This enraged the Pakistani captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who had a lengthy chat with the umpires, and had to be calmed down.
The umpires, while rejecting Taylor’s objection, told him to keep batting as they were observing things.
Sarfraz then directed Hafeez to continue bowling.
That wasn’t the end of the episode as Sarfraz persisted with Hafeez, and kept exchanging comments with Taylor, looking none too happy with the New Zealand batsman.
The umpires Shozab Raza and Joel Wilson eventually got involved and had a chat with Taylor. As well as how it impacts how the officials view Hafeez’s action, Taylor could face the possibility of sanctions himself. They may not relate to dissent but there is a clause in the ICC rulebook that deals with players’ on-field behavior.
In 2009, a similar incident had occurred when Saeed Ajmal was called for a suspect action and he felt it had been the result of an opposition batsman – in that case, Australia’s Shane Watson – who had directed the umpire’s attention to the way he bowled his doosra.
It is pertinent to mention here that Hafeez’s bowling action has been objected to several times in the past.
The ICC has ruled his action illegal no fewer than four times in his career; three of them in the last four years.
Hafeez was first reported almost 14 years ago during an ODI tri-series in Australia in 2005. Regulations concerning illegal actions were different back then and he soon returned. In 2014, his action was reported during the Champions League T20, and then again following a Test match against New Zealand later that year. He was suspended from bowling after results indicated the flex of his elbow was more than the allowed 15 degrees.
Hafeez finally got to bowl again in April 2015, but a month later, he was back under the umpires’ scanner. Since that constituted a second report in the space of two years – with the first one resulting in a suspension – the ICC put his offspin on ice for 12 months.
Hafeez returned to bowling after his ban, clearing a test of his action in 2016, but the issue cropped up again leading to his latest suspension in October 2017. He eventually received a clean chit from the ICC in April 2018 and now, after a late call-up to Pakistan’s squad for their ongoing home season, he has bowled 19 overs in one Test and six T20Is against Australia and New Zealand, without drawing any attention to his remodelled action before this.
