International cricketer Mohammad Hasnain has been suspended

Mohammad Hasnain, a Pakistan pacer, has been banned from bowling in international cricket after an ICC-accredited testing centre in Lahore found his action to be illegal.

Umpires reported Hasnain’s bowling action during a Big Bash League match between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers on January 2. He was then tested at a biomechanics laboratory authorized by the International Cricket Council in Lahore, just before flying back to Pakistan to perform in the PSL.

Umpire Gerard Abood reported Hasnain’s bowling action during the Big Bash League (BBL) match between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers on January 2. Before leaving the nation, the Pakistan pacer had to undergo a 14-day test at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane. However, due to border restrictions imposed by Queensland in response to the rising number of Covid-19 cases, he was unable to fly to Brisbane, and the pacer was forced to return to Pakistan early due to a recall by his country’s cricket body.

“As per the Illegal Bowling Action Regulations, until Hasnain clears his reassessment, he will remain suspended from bowling in the international cricket,” the PCB said in a statement.

The cricket board claimed it had received an official and detailed report on Hasnain’s assessment test from Cricket Australia, with its bowling experts stating that the “issue can be resolved.”

“The report from the CA stated his elbow extension for Hasnain’s good length delivery, full-length delivery, slow bouncer and bouncer exceeded the 15-degree limits.”

The PCB said “Hasnain is an asset for Pakistan cricket” and one of the very few bowlers to consistently bowl 145kmph.

“As such, and keeping his future and Pakistan’s interest at the forefront, the PCB, on the recommendation of the HBL PSL 2022 Technical Committee, has decided he will not be allowed to continue to participate in the HBL PSL,” the board said in its statement.

The PCB also said that it will employ a bowling consultant to work with Hasnain in order for him to improve his bowling action and be ready for a reassessment.

The bowler will now use his current time with the PCB-appointed bowling consultant to improve his bowling action in order to apply for a reassessment and “return to international cricket as early as practically possible,” according to the board.

Hasnain to play in the Pakistan Super League

After umpires Gerard Abood and Simon Lightbody reported it during the BBL match between Sydney Thunder and Adelaide Strikers on Jan 2, the 21-year-old had his bowling action tested at the International Cricket Council-accredited biomechanics laboratory in Lahore on Tuesday. The test was originally scheduled on January 19 in Australia, but because he was scheduled to return to Pakistan on Tuesday after finishing his BBL stint, the PCB and CA agreed that it would be conducted only in Lahore.

It was Hasnain’s first BBL outing, and he bowled 3-20 in four overs for Thunder in the match.

The National Cricket Federation — in Hasnain’s case, the Pakistan Cricket Board — “may (but may not be obligated to) let the Player to continue to bowl in their own domestic competitions,” according to Article 11.5 of the ICC regulations for bowlers reported with suspicious bowling actions.

Who is Mohammad Hasnain:

Mohammad Hasnain, arguably Pakistan’s fastest bowler, progressed through the age categories to make his domestic debut in 2018. Apart from his high-speed abilities, he can also swing the ball a long far, and it’s this lethal combination that saw him fast-tracked to the point where he shockingly made Pakistan’s World Cup squad in 2019, despite only having featured in a few bilateral ODIs previously. He didn’t play in any of the games, but his presence in the squad demonstrated the selectors’ confidence in him. Hasnain is still a raw product, and his incredible speed allows him to travel long distances on his off days.