Hafeez confident of reviving career even if he fails bowling test

Karachi [Pakistan], Nov.19 : Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez, who recently returned home after giving bowling assessment test in Brisbane, is confident of reviving his international career even if he cannot bowl again.

"I am not looking to revive my international career by clearing this bowling test," Hafeez was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune.

Hafeez, however, admitted that he just underwent the bowling test in order to satisfy the bowler inside him.

"My batting statistics speak for themselves. I just want to satisfy the bowler inside me after clearing this test," he added. The 36-year-old's comments came in the wake of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan claiming that Hafeez's future in the national team depends upon him clearing the bowling action test.

Talking about his bowling Test, the off-spinner insisted that his actions has been remolded and, therefore, he is hopeful of a positive result.

"I am hopeful of the test. I was working on it for the last one year. I am thankful to people who helped me. I want to play the role of an all-rounder again as I did before the ban," Hafeez, who has served as a national T20 captain, said.

"I am a simple off-spin bowler. I never bowled with extensive variety so I gave a simple off-spin bowling test. My action has been remodeled. Whatever I did earlier was natural and now I have changed my action a little. I was hit for sixes and fours earlier as well but the repetition I have added to my new action will make it as effective," he added.

The PCB wanted Hafeez to undergo testing at an ICC-accredited bio-mechanical laboratory because if his bowling action is cleared, he could possibly join the national squad for the upcoming tour to Australia.

Earlier, Hafeez had told the PCB that he was ready to take the ICC's bowling assessment test to confirm whether his bowling action could be cleared for international cricket.

Pakistan is slated to play three-match Test series and five-match ODIs against the Steve Smith-led side, starting from December 15 in Brisbane.

Hafeez, who appeared in 50 Tests, 177 ODIs and 77 T20s for Pakistan, has been facing problems with his bowling action since 2014.

He was handed a ban by the ICC twice for an illegal bowling action, firstly in December 2014 which later got cleared in April 2015 and second in July last year for 12 months.

Source: ANI