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DOOMED . . . Brian Vitori has been slapped with a year’s sanctions by the ICC

Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter—

ZIMBABWE fast bowler Brian Vitori will miss international cricket action next year after he was handed an effective 12-month ban by the International Cricket Council yesterday.Vitori, who has had problems with his bowling action, was suspended for the second time this year after an independent assessment found his bowling action to be illegal.

A statement from ICC yesterday said an assessment of his bowling action, which took place at the University of Pretoria on December 12, revealed that some of his deliveries exceeded the 15-degree level of tolerance.

The 26-year-old left-arm bowler was assessed after the legality of his bowling action was brought under question by the match officials during the recent tri-series final against Sri Lanka in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe lost the match by six wickets with Vitori recording 3 /52 from his nine overs.

“Zimbabwe fast bowler Brian Vitori has been suspended from bowling in international cricket for 12 months following an independent assessment of his bowling action, which took place at the University of Pretoria on 12 December,” read the statement from ICC.

“Vitori was reported by the match officials pursuant to the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions and subsequently underwent the independent assessment in Pretoria in accordance with the regulations.

“The assessment revealed that some of Vitori’s deliveries exceeded the 15-degree level of tolerance, thus, he employed an illegal bowling action.”

Vitori has been under fire for the legality of his bowling action this year.

He was originally suspended in February but was permitted to resume bowling six months later after remedial work and a subsequent reassessment.

The Chevrons paceman’s woes begun when he was initially reported after the third T20I against Bangladesh in Khulna in January.

He underwent assessment in Chennai, where his deliveries were found to exceed the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under ICC’s regulations and was subsequently banned.

But after some remedial work and a retest conducted in South Africa in June, he was cleared. And only recently, the match officials again noted some irregularities in his arm movements during the home tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and the West Indies and filed a report for suspect bowling.

“As this report has constituted the player’s second report within a two-year period, the first of which led to a suspension, he is now automatically suspended from bowling in international cricket for a period of 12 months.

“Vitori can appeal against any procedural aspect of an independent assessment that has led to this automatic suspension. However, only after the expiry of this one-year period will he be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action.”

Zimbabwe have two international assignments confirmed under the Future Tours Programme in 2017.

They are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka mid-year for two Tests and three ODIs and then host the West Indies towards the end of the year for two Tests.

Zimbabwe Cricket are understood to be pursuing bilateral arrangements with Bangladesh and Afghanistan for more matches.