West Indian Narine suspended over illegal action
The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday suspended West Indian spinner Sunil Narine after his action was deemed illegal by an independent assessment.
The 27-year’s action was reported during the third one-day international against Sri Lanka in Pallekele this month and was subsequently assessed in a biomechanical laboratory in Loughborough, England.
The ICC confirmed Narine’s action was illegal.
“The ICC has found the bowling action of Narine to be illegal and, as such, the off-spinner has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect,” the ICC said.
The mystery spinner’s action was reported for the first time during last year’s Champions League -- a private Indian Twenty20 tournament -- which forced the West Indies to withdraw him from the 2015 World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.
“Narine’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations within domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction, save that, with the consent of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), Narine may be able to play in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of the WICB,” the ICC statement added. The ICC said the assessment revealed that all variations of Narine’s deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.
Under the rules Narine can apply for a re-assessment after modifying his bowling action. The ICC launched a world-wide crackdown on bowlers with illegal bowling actions in June last year. Sri Lanka’s Sachitra Senanayake, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson, Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez, Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya and Maclom Waller and Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi were among a dozen bowlers whose action were deemed illegal.
Of these bowlers only Hafeez was reported for a second time in July this year and has since been banned for a year from bowling at international level. Narine has so far played six Tests, 55 one-day and 34 Twenty20 internationals.