Muhammad Hafeez bowls with illegal action legally

The banned from bowling all-rounder bowled three overs for Lahore Whites in the domestic T20 tournament

Pakistan all-rounder Muhammad Hafeez who was banned from bowling for 12 months by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for twice being reported for an illegal action is in full action in the Haier Mobile T20 Cup.

He is allowed to bowl in the domestic circuit even after being banned by the ICC after taking permission from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Most bowlers use the domestic circuit to further rectify their remodelled action and gain confidence but Hafeez didn’t show any considerable change in his action.

He bowled in one match till now for Lahore Whites when they played against Islamabad. He bowled three overs and gave away 35 runs.

Hafeez was stopped from bowling in November 2014 and after working on his action he made a comeback in April 2015 but he was reported again in the series against Sri Lanka. He flew to Chennai for tests and after the reports affirmed that the umpires were right he was banned for a total of one year.

In circumstances where a suspended player is seeking to play in domestic cricket events under the jurisdiction of another member board, the consent of that member board should also be obtained prior to the player participating in such matches.

According to ICC policy on illegal bowling actions, the concerned board shall formulate and implement a strategy to deal with players with illegal bowling actions in domestic cricket.

"We are monitoring him as there is a provision that he can bowl," Intikhab Alam, the PCB's director of domestic cricket, told ESPNcricinfo, "It's not like we are being lenient with him. The umpires can still report him if they suspect anything wrong in his action.

"Since this ongoing tournament is being televised, it's the best opportunity for us to monitor him closely. In a while, if he is reported at this level as well then he will be suspended for another three months."