Narine withdraws from West Indies CWC squad

Jan 28, 2015 Sports

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In the wake of news that the ICC hopes to submit the assessment report within seven days if a bowler’s action is reported by the Umpires as suspect

during the World Cup instead of the previous 21 days it took for the evaluation process of getting their actions tested at the ICC accredited centres, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday announced that off spinner Sunil Narine has withdrawn from the West Indies squad for the Cricket World Cup 2015.
Narine has undergone intense remedial work on his bowling action and preliminary tests have shown him bowling all his deliveries under the 15 degrees flexion allowance. However the 26-year-old Narine who has 73 wickets from 53 ODI’s informed that he required more time to be able to confidently bowl for a sustained period in international cricket with his new action.
”Playing for Red Force and winning the NAGICO Super50 has been a big boost, but going in to the World Cup is a little too much too soon and, after consulting WICB, for both West Indies and my sake we have decided to delay my return to international cricket until I am 100% confident in all that I do,” Narine said.
”Whilst I am very happy with the progress made to date with my action, and I express my thanks to the coaches working with me in Trinidad and Dr. Daryl Foster in Perth, Australia, I am withdrawing from the World Cup,” Narine explained.
The WICB supports Narine’s decision to withdraw from the CWC squad as to risk his exposure to the intensity of the Cricket World Cup would be both unfair to him and the West Indies squad. A replacement will be named shortly.
Narine has taken a positive approach to his remedial work, remains in an optimistic frame of mind and looks forward to returning to international cricket at the earliest opportunity.
”I would like to thank the WICB for their support and wish the West Indies team the very best for the World Cup campaign,” Narine said. The ICC hopes to submit the assessment report within seven days if a bowler’s action is reported by the Umpires as suspect during the World Cup instead of the previous 21 days it took for the evaluation process of getting their actions tested at the ICC accredited centres.
”As per 2.2.15 of the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions, the independent analysis shall be carried out and the independent assessment furnished on an expedited basis. In this respect, every reasonable effort shall be made for the independent analysis to be carried out and the independent assessment furnished within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of the match officials’ report,” an ICC spokesman told ESPNCricinfo.
The faster evaluation is part of ICC’s effort to eradicate suspect bowling actions and is bound to defeat any strategy by a team thinking of saving a bowler with a suspect action for later stages of the World Cup. That would have worked under the Standard Regulations applicable to non ICC Events where the bowler can continue to bowl in international cricket as long as he is tested within three weeks of being reported. Although the relevant rule (2.1.5) states that an independent analysis would be carried out “as soon as reasonably possible”, a period of 21 days has been worked out keeping in mind the logistical and operational issues.
Yesterday, ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said that bowlers reported would travel to Brisbane testing centre to get their actions analysed as soon as possible. “The ICC-accredited testing centre in Brisbane is on stand-by so that if somebody is reported early on in the tournament, he can go straight off to Brisbane, get tested within five or six days, and we can have the report so that he can either continue bowling if he’s found to be legal, or if he’s illegal, then he will be suspended.”
The ICC, Richardson stressed, was unrelenting on suspect actions, an issue that had been dormant for a long time but having gained momentum with high-profile bowlers being reported both in international cricket as well as domestic cricket.
Pakistan off-spinning pair of Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez were previously reported in international cricket while West Indies off spinner Sunil Narine was disqualified from bowling during the Champions LeagueTwenty20 final last year having been reported in two successive matches.
”As per 2.2.15 of the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions, the independent analysis shall be carried out and the independent assessment furnished on an expedited basis. In this respect, every reasonable effort shall be made for the independent analysis to be carried out and the independent assessment furnished within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of the match officials’ report,” an ICC spokesperson said.
The faster evaluation is part of ICC’s effort to eradicate suspect bowling actions and is bound to defeat any strategy by a team thinking of saving a bowler with a suspect action for later stages of the World Cup.
That would have worked under the Standard Regulations applicable to non ICC Events where the bowler can continue to bowl in international cricket as long as he is tested within three weeks of being reported. Although the relevant rule (2.1.5) states that an independent analysis would be carried out “as soon as reasonably possible”, a period of 21 days has been worked out keeping in mind the logistical and operational issues.
Yesterday ICC chief executive Dave Richardson said that bowlers reported would travel to Brisbane testing centre to get their actions analysed as soon as possible. “The ICC-accredited testing centre in Brisbane is on stand-by so that if somebody is reported early on in the tournament, he can go straight off to Brisbane, get tested within five or six days, and we can have the report so that he can either continue bowling if he’s found to be legal, or if he’s illegal, then he will be suspended.”
The ICC, Richardson stressed, was unrelenting on suspect actions, an issue that had been dormant for a long time but having gained momentum with high-profile bowlers being reported both in international cricket as well as domestic cricket. Pakistan off-spinning pair of Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez were previously reported in international cricket while West Indies off spinner Sunil Narine was disqualified from bowling during the Champions LeagueTwenty20 final last year having been reported in two successive matches.

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