Shoaib Malik unlikely to bowl in India

Malik is unlikely to bowl in the upcoming tour of India, PCB officials said on Wednesday.

Pakistan allrounder Shoaib Malik is unlikely to bowl in the forthcoming tour of India, cricket board officials said on Wednesday.

HT Image

"We have sent Shoaib Malik's footages and medical reports to International Cricket Council (ICC) for analysis. But frankly speaking, we are hoping against hope that he will be available for us as a spinner in India," PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said.

Malik was named in a 16-man Pakistan cricket team for this month's tour of India. But he was identified as one of the five middle-order batsmen in the team sheet.

Shaharyar reiterated that the Tests have shown that Malik was involved in a road accident two years back and as a result he had lost control of tendon in his bowling arm which was causing the problem.

"We have asked the ICC to permit him to bowl again on medical grounds but I don't think he will get the reprieve," Shaharyar said.

According to a report prepared by University of Western Australia's Prof Bruce Elliott, Malik's "both the off-break and doosra deliveries were characterized by elbow extension values (20.8 degrees and 33.4 degrees) above the current and proposed levels of acceptability, as defined by the ICC."

The new ICC rule, which applies from March 1, allows spinners to bend their elbows by up to 15 degrees - previously they were permitted only five degrees.

Malik was reported by umpires Simon Taufel and Aleem Dar for a suspect bowling action after a one-day game against Sri Lanka in October last year.