LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected claims that it is not backing all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez after he received a ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC) due to an illegal bowling action. Earlier, reports surfaced that Hafeez was asked to consult the National Cricket Academy (NCA) Lahore to receive guidance to correct his illegal bowling action. The PCB was said to have not hired any expert to help Hafeez rectify the bend in his elbow, which has seen him being banned from bowling for a third time. But the PCB clarified Tuesday that the board was lending all its support to Hafeez to rectify his bowling action. “The PCB would like to clarify that it stands behind Hafeez and is lending all its support to him to rectify his bowling action,” a PCB spokesman said. “The PCB is ready to request the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a rechecking of Hafeez’s action, but after the 37-year-old believes he is ready for it. An unofficial biomechanics test is also on the cards if Hafeez requests for it before he goes for a formal checking of his action in an ICC credited lab,” the spokesman added. “The PCB will like to state that a bowling action review committee has already been setup with Ahsan Raza, Ali Zia, Saleem Jaffar, and Sajjad Akbar as its members. The committee has been tasked to provide all possible training and assistance to rectify Hafeez’s bowling action at par with the ICC standards.” Hafeez was reported during the third Sri Lanka ODI in the UAE and his biomechanics test reports showed that he had a bend of 20-22 degrees in his elbow. In result, the ICC banned him from bowling in international matches until he reappears for a test and clears it. Till then, he is allowed to bowl in domestic matches, however, after receiving prior permission from the PCB. Published in Daily Times, November 22nd 2017.