Malik's action cleared

Pakistan all rounder Shoaib Malik's bowling action has been cleared by biomechanical experts in South Africa, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old's delivery action was examined at the Sports Institute in Cape Town after he was reported last October following a one-day series against Sri Lanka.

"The report sent to us by the institute's experts says that he does not exceed the tolerance level of 15 degrees elbow angle extensions allowed by the International Cricket Council (ICC)," PCB spokesman Abbas Zaidi said.

"The tests conducted there under the supervision of Professor Tim Knokes, who is a human movement sciences expert, have confirmed that Malik straightens his bowling arm below the ICC tolerance levels."

Malik was stopped from bowling by the PCB after he underwent two tests at the University of Western Australia in Perth in December and January.

The examinations disclosed inconsistencies in his elbow extension while bowling his off break and "doosra", the ball that goes away from the right-hander, deliveries.

He, however, resumed bowling last month in the one-day series in India after the PCB asked the ICC to clear his action on medical grounds.

Zaidi said the board would send the detailed report on to the ICC for final clearance but he would continue to bowl during this month's West Indian tour.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq said Malik's action being cleared was good news for the team.

"This means we can also consider him for the test matches," said Inzamam.

Malik will miss the first test in Barbados as the Pakistan board banned him for one test after he admitted fixing a domestic limited overs match in Lahore last month.

He was also fined 75 percent of his match fees for the first two one-dayers in West Indies.