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CALM BEFORE THE STORM . . . Prosper Utseya is confident of his innocence ahead of his departure for Wales where he will undergo bowl action test next week

Robson Sharuko Senior Sports Editor
ZIMBABWE off-spinner Prosper Utseya has been suspended from bowling in international cricket, with immediate effect, after the International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday confirmed that an independent analysis had found that his action was illegal.
This means Utseya is certainly out of the tour of Bangladesh, unless he can be selected strictly as a batsman, which is very unlikely, and this is a big blow for the Zimbabwe team which was hoping that their premier off-spinner will lead their attack in spin-friendly conditions.

He is effectively also out of the 2015 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Utseya was reported for a faulty bowling action during the third ODI against South Africa in Bulawayo in August this year.

He is one of a number of spinners who have found their actions being questioned by umpires in the past few months.

Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi has also been suspended from bowling in international cricket after he was reported in the second ODI against the West Indies in August this year.

“The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent analysis has found the bowling actions of Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi and Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya to be illegal and, as such, both off-spinners have been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect,” a statement released by the ICC media and communications officer Peter Breen said yesterday.

“The analysis revealed that all of their deliveries exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.

“Gazi was reported after the second One-Day International match against West Indies in St George’s in August, while Utseya was reported after the third One-Day International 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 Illegall Bowling Actions.

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

Utseya, who will be able to play domestic cricket under the supervision of Zimbabwe Cricket but cannot represent the country in international events, can apply for re-assessment of his bowling action under the ICC regulations which provide that:

A player who has been suspended from bowling in international cricket under these regulations, may at any time apply to the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action.

Such re-assessment shall be carried out in the same manner as the independent analysis referred to in paragraph 2.2 above save that the purpose of the comparison between the re-assessed action and the action of the player as employed in the match in which he was reported shall be to determine the extent, if any, of the improvement to his bowling action.

In the event of such re-assessment concluding that the player has remedied his bowling action, and that his bowling action is no longer an illegal bowling action, the player’s suspension shall be lifted and he shall be permitted to continue bowling in international cricket forthwith.

The BRG (Bowling Review Group) shall have the discretion to specify a fixed period before the expiry of which the player shall not be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action in terms hereof. Such discretion shall only be exercised in the instance of a frivolous application for a BRG hearing and the maximum period so specified shall be one year.

“In the event of a player being suspended from bowling in international cricket under these regulations for a second time, within a period of two years from the date of the commencement of the first period of suspension, the player shall be suspended from bowling in international cricket for a minimum period of 1 year.

“Only after the expiry of this one-year period will the player be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his action in accordance with paragraph 2.4 above.”