Afridi reported for suspect bowling action

One-day specialist, Shahid Afridi, has been reported for a suspect bowling action but has not been suspended from international cricket.

Afridi, a hard-hitting allrounder, was reported by Match Referee, Barry Jarman, during the three-match one-day internationals against England.

Afridi, dropped from the first one-dayer, roared back to pick five for 40 in the second one-dayer while also scoring a 69-ball 61. In the decisive one-dayer, Afridi bagged one for 21 and scored nine with the bat.

Afridi is believed to have been reported during the second one-day international though the director of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Brig Munawwar Rana said it would be unwise to predict in which match the referee found his bowling action suspect.

Detailed video tapes of Afridi's bowling action have been forwarded to the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the PCB which will be used to analyse and review.

The Brigadier said the match referee had hinted to him during the series that he was going to report Afridi's bowling action. "We received the formal information from the ICC before the start of the year," he said.

Afridi will now undergo a six-week period of consultation with bowling experts appointed by the PCB. At the end of mid-February, a report will be circulated by the PCB to the player, the ICC and the international panel of referees and umpires.

Brig Rana, however, clarified that all the delivery actions of Afridi were not under question. "His faster ones are said to be illegitimate."

Afridi is the second Pakistan bowler to be found with a suspect bowling action. Last year, Shoaib Akhtar was suspended for eight days before he was cleared to play in one-day internationals. He was eventually cleared two months later.