Shoaib faces ICC threat of being elbowed out ahead of Triangular

It could not be immediately confirmed whether the report was compiled by an Australian or overseas umpire or match referee John Reid, a New Zealander who is on the nine-man ICC committee. As match referee in the series, it is Reid’s job to forward the report and tape to London.

It is ICC’s policy that all investigations arising from official requests to review a bowlers action are conducted in secrecy. If Akhtar’s sling-shot action needs alteration, he may be stood down from international cricket. There is not much doubts about Akhtar’s routine delivery. Butwhen he strains to bowl a bouncer, his action opens up and his body falls away slightly. The focus of the investigation will be on whether his elbow straightens at this point, which the law does not allow.

Umpires and match referees had no problem with Akhtar’s action during the World Cup in June, but he subsequently spent three months on the sidelines with a shoulder problem. There is a school of thought that since sustaining the shoulder injury his action has opened up as he subsconsciously tries to protect the hurt part of his body.

Umpires have found it difficult to assess the bonafides of Akhtar’s action because his slinging delivery is a blur and he wears elbow-length sleeves which confuses the matter further.

While he has publicly lambasted accusations that his action is suspect, privately he has been concerned enough to have it checked by several coaches in the nets.

The first cloud over his action appeared at the start of the Australian tour when Perth umpire convenor Ric Evans sent a videoof his action to ACB, but the board claimed it had no jurisdiction.

Shoaib is the second Pakistani player to be reported for suspect action in recent months after teenager Shabbir Ahmed, who is in the process of remodelling his action.

While the Pakistan team had reservations over Shabbir’s action they have always maintained Aklhtar was clean. Pakistan cricket officials said today they had not received an official complaint about Akhtar’s bowling action despite fresh media allegations over the paceman after the 3-0 series defeat by Australia.

Two Australian newspapers reported that video footage of Akhtar’s bowling action would be sent to the ICC in London for review.

Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed said he had spoken to match referee Reid after the third Test ended on Sunday and Reid had not mentioned anything about the action.

“Reid met with us for 20 minutes…He said goodbye to us and there was nothing,” Saeed told reporters. “If there is anything it must come through official channels andaction must be taken accordingly. But it doesn’t concern me at all.”

The reports in the Australian and The Daily Telegraph did not say who would send the video and an accompanying request for a review of Akhtar’s action to the ICC. Neither paper gave direct quotes nor indicated where the reports had come from.

They suggested the video could be sent by Reid or one of the two umpires in the final Test. Briton Peter Willey and Australian Darrell Hair stood in the Perth Test, which Australia won by an innings and 20 runs.

Akhtar flatly rejected the new claims about his action. “It’s all crap,” he told reporters.

The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) said it was not involved. “There is nothing we can say,” said ACB public affairs manager Brendan McClements.

“We don’t have a role to play in this situation.”

Pakistan fly out of Australia on Wednesday after a disappointing series and will return in January for a triangular limited overs series which also involves India. Saeed said Akhtar wouldreturn for the series unless the ICC notified Pakistani team management of any concerns it had over his action.