Suspended Hafeez to skip BPL

Pakistan's spinning allrounder Mohammad Hafeez has been suspended from bowling in international matches after failing another assessment test, cricket's governing body said Thursday.

Hafeez was supposed to feature for the Comilla Victorians this season however, the off-spinner has decided to skip the Bangladesh Premier League and work on his faulty bowling action.

I have decided to not go to Bangladesh to play for the Comilla Victorians and instead I will remain in Lahore and work on my bowling action before taking a biomechanics test again at a ICC accredited laboratory," Hafeez was quoted by as saying by DNA India

"I will focus on why my action has been reported again and sort things out. For me the coming tour to New Zealand and the Pakistan Super League are very important. There is lot of cricket coming up with the national team next year," he added..

The 37-year-old was reported for using suspected banned bowling actions during the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Abu Dhabi last month.

The International Cricket Council said subsequent testing at the United Kingdom's Loughborough University showed a majority of Hafeez's deliveries "exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations".

"After an independent assessment the bowling action of Hafeez is found to be illegal and, as such, the off-spinner has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect," the ICC said Thursday.

He will still be allowed to play domestic matches if the Pakistan Cricket Board agrees, the ICC said, adding he can apply for a reassessment once he has corrected his action.