Sarfraz fury at Taylor for ‘disgraceful’ accusation
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed has called Ross Taylor “disgraceful” after the New Zealand batsman suggested Mohammed Hafeez’s bowling action was illegal during Wednesday’s ODI match in Abu Dhabi.
Taylor made a bent-arm gesture towards Hafeez, who was bowling at him, during the New Zealand innings.
Hafeez was cleared to return to bowling in April after being reported for a fourth time by the International Cricket Council for breaching the permitted 15 degrees of flex.
Sarfraz exchanged words with Taylor and complained to the umpires. “He has no business to make that action in front of everyone, especially to see that on the television. It was disgraceful,” Sarfraz said after Pakistan’s 47-run defeat. “It is not his job. His job is to bat and he should be focusing on that.
“First of all, he shouldn’t have done that because it is the duty of umpires to look into it. He reacted two, three times and being a professional cricketer he shouldn’t have done that.
“If he wanted to make a point, he could have reported to the umpire, instead making such actions on the field. I don’t see any problem in Hafeez’s action.”
Wednesday’s defeat in the first ODI at Zayed Cricket Stadium extended Pakistan’s losing streak to the Black Caps to 12 games over four years, to see the visitors take a 1-0 series lead.
A devastating spell of bowling in the third over by Trent Boult saw the left-arm quick claim a hat-trick to leave Pakistan reeling on 8-3, a point that the hosts never recovered from.
“Trent was remarkable on the night and the New Zealand bowling hurt us very badly,” Sarfraz said.
Boult, who missed his team’s Twenty20 series defeat to Pakistan here last week to attend the birth of his first child, was returning to the international fold after a seven-month break.
“The lucky charm must be watching the game in the early hours of the morning back home,” he said when asked if the newborn was an inspiration.
“I had a pretty quiet winter, to be honest, probably four months off from cricket. The summer pretty much starts for me here. It’s a big tour in the UAE and I’ll be back home for the New Zealand summer.
The second ODI takes place in Abu Dhabi on Friday.