Pakistan act on suspect bowling

Shabbir Ahmed is considering his future after being banned

The Pakistan Cricket Board is to force any bowler with a suspect action to correct the problem before they can play international cricket.

The PCB has had to deal with several players being reported, with Shabbir Ahmed recently banned for 12 months.

"We want to identify bowlers who have flawed actions before they graduate to the top," said Saleem Altaf, the PCB's director of cricket operations.

Any bowler reported will now go through an immediate rehabilitation process.

The PCB has taken this step after domestic umpires reported about 50 bowlers in the last domestic season.

"These bowlers have played at different levels including junior competitions and first class tournaments," he added.

Shoaib Akhtar, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Hafeez and Shahid Afridi are among a number of Pakistan internationals who have been reported over the past six years.

Shabbir Ahmed took five wickets in the first Test against England in Multan in November, which Pakistan won by 22 runs, but his action was reported and he has not been allowed to play since.

The ICC allows bowlers to extend their elbow by up to 15 degrees.