Bangladesh, Zimbabwe bowlers suspended for 'illegal' actions

Dubai: Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi and Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya have been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect for "illegal" bowling actions, the ICC said today.

"The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent analysis has found the bowling actions of Gazi and Utseya to be illegal and, as such, both off-spinners have been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect," the ICC said in a statement.

"The analysis revealed that all of their deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations," it said.

Gazi was reported after the second ODI against West Indies in St George's in August, while Utseya was reported after the third ODI against South Africa in Bulawayo that same month.

Both players can apply for a re-assessment after modifying their bowling actions in accordance with clause 2.4 of the Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.

The analysis was performed on September 19 by ICC's accredited team of Human Movement Specialists using the Cardiff Metropolitan University.

The ICC's officials have been strict with identifying illegal actions in recent months and bans were handed out to Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal and Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake among others, after both were found guilty of breaking the 15-degree flex rule.

A similar drive was undertaken in the recent Champions League T20, during which West Indies spinner Sunil Narine was banned from bowling in the final.