Hafeez unlikely to bowl in England ODIs

LONDON: Just like the four-Test series against England, Pakistan are expected to miss the services of Mohammad Hafeez as a bowler in the limited-overs matches which begin in Southampton from August 24.

A well-placed source in the Pakistan team told ‘The News’ here on Sunday that though Hafeez has been working hard on remedial work alongside an English expert on the sidelines of Pakistan’s fourth and final Test against England, chances are remote that he will bowl during the One-day Internationals (ODIs).

“Hafeez has been working hard on his bowling action but it might take a while before he is ready to undergo re-testing,” the source said. “That’s why there is little chance that Hafeez will be able to bowl during the limited-overs matches,” he said.

After the end of the four-Test series, Pakistan will fly to Dublin to plat back-to-back One-day Internationals against Ireland next week. Later, they will meet England in a five-match ODI series before ending the tour with a one-off Twenty20 International at Old Trafford on September 7.

Hafeez, who flopped miserably in the Test series and was finally dropped for the final Test, is part of Pakistan’s ODI squad and is also expected to play in the T20 game despite his poor run with the bat in the five-day format.

His remedial work was initially affected by a knee problem and later by a finger injury.

He was suspended from bowling in international cricket for 12 months after twice being found to be over the limit for elbow extension by independent assessors within a two-year period.

The all-rounder’s bowling woes first came into the picture in 2014 while representing Lahore Lions in the Champions League. Hafeez was reported again after the first Test against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, in November of the same year, and his action found to exceed the permitted 15-degree limit. He returned in 2015, after being cleared by a re-test, but was reported once more against Sri Lanka in Galle and subsequently banned from bowling.

Despite the fact that he is not allowed to bowl and his batting form is also suspect, Hafeez is likely to be picked in the playing eleven during the ODI series against England.