DUBAI — The International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday confirmed that following remedial work and a retest, the bowling action of Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya is legal and he can now resume bowling in international cricket.
In advance of any retest, a player who has been banned from bowling in international cricket is required to identify the various types of delivery he wants assessed, with a view to bowling those types of delivery in international matches should his suspension be lifted.
Utseya identified his off-spin and a variety of slow medium deliveries as the types of delivery he would be bowling.
At the retest, Utseya’s range of slow medium deliveries all measured within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.
Utseya’s off-spin deliveries were also analysed, but measured as illegal and as such this type of delivery remains illegal and he cannot bowl it in international cricket.
Umpires are still at liberty to report Utseya in the future if they believe he is displaying a suspect action and not reproducing the legal action that was analysed during the retest.
To assist in comparing the action used in the lab to the action used in upcoming matches, umpires have been provided with images and video footage of Utseya’s remodelled legal bowling action.
— ICC
