Sunil Narine’s action while bowling off-spin has been found to be illegal by the BCCI.
The BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committee has concluded that Narine’s off-spinners contravened law 24.2 (as read with 24.3) of the Laws of Cricket.
Resultantly, Narine, on Wednesday, was banned from bowling his off-spinners in the IPL or any other competition run by the BCCI.
The 26-year-old Trinidad and Tobago spinner can, however, continue to send down his other deliveries such as the quicker one and the knuckle ball.
If he delivers his off-spinners again in the IPL, this season, he will be ‘called’ by on-field umpires and then automatically suspended from all matches organised by the BCCI.
Narine has had a rather ordinary time for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the ongoing IPL season — he had re-worked his action following ICC scrutiny ahead of the competition — with just two wickets from five games at an economy rate of 7.35.
Now that he will not be allowed to bowl his stock delivery, the West Indian’s effectiveness will be reduced further.
It remains to be seen if the Knight Riders play him since the Kolkata side has some viable spin options such as left-arm Chinaman bowler Brad Hogg and leg-spinner Piyush Clawla. Both bowled impressively in the game against the Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk on Tuesday.
Narine was reported after KKR’s game against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Vishakhapatnam on April 22.
He subsequently underwent tests at the ICC-accredited bio-mechanical wing of the Sri Ramachandra Sports Medicine Centre.
The match footage and analysis of Narine’s action at the bio-mechanical centre in Chennai was reviewed by the BCCI Suspect Bowling Action Committeeý.
If Narine undergoes a course of bowling rehabilitation and takes corrective measures, he can request a further official assessment by the BCCI panel.