Bilal Asif reported for illegal action ahead of 2015 England series

Pakistan’s offspinner Bilal Asif has been reported for a suspect action following the third One-Day International (ODI) against Zimbabwe which was won by the visitors comfortably by seven wickets. Asif who made his debut in the second game of the three-match ODI series, bagged a superb five-wicket haul helping his side seal the series. According to ESPNCricinfo, “Bilal’s action has been reported after the third ODI and we are following the procedure with the ICC,” Intikhab Alam, Pakistan’s team manager said. Pakistan’s next assignment is just a week away, when they hosts the English side in UAE for three Tests series, starting October 8. READ: Shoaib Malik included in Pakistan Test squad as 16th member for 2015 England 

Asif will have to get his action tested at an International Cricket Council (ICC)-accredited facility within two weeks of the PCB receiving the report from the ICC, but he is eligible to bowl in international cricket until the result of the test is out. After being left out for the Twenty20 International (T20I) series, he was retained for the ODIs to experiment him for the upcoming England series.
In the absence of Mohammad Hafeez, who has been banned from bowling in international cricket and Saeed Ajmal who has not been selected because he has proved ineffective after remedying his illegal action, Asif was expected to provide the support, especially when he bats in the top order.

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Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik was added as the 16th member of the Test squad against England, chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Shaharyar Khan confirmed on Tuesday. READ: Shahryar Khan: Time for cricket boards in Asia to be more united