Staff Writer – Archi
Sports news. Indian Premier League defending champion side Kolkata Knight Riders’ campaign this year was thrown into disarray after a question mark was raised against their star spinner Sunil Narine’s bowling action once again on Friday
“A suspected illegal bowling action report has been filed by the match officials on certain deliveries bowled by Sunil Narine during the Pepsi IPL 2015 match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders played on the April 22 in Visakhapatnam,” a Board of Control for Cricket in India release stated.
“As per the provisions of the IPL Suspected Illegal Bowling Action Policy, Narine will be eligible to bowl in forthcoming Pepsi IPL matches and may request a biomechanical analysis of the deliveries in question at the ICC and BCCI accredited testing facility, the Sri Ramachandra Arthroscopy and Sports Science Centre (SRASSC) in Chennai.”
Narine, who was first reported for illegal bowling action in the Champions League last year, undertook remedial measures, causing him to miss the ICC World Cup earlier this year. He had his remodeled action retested and cleared at an ICC-approved biomechanical testing unit in UK, but had to go through another testing process in Chennai before the start of IPL-8 before being allowed back in the fold. He, however, picked IPL over West Indies series against England at home.
Narine’s arrival at KKR in 2012 has seen the Kolkata franchise winning the IPL crown twice (2012, 2014).
The West Indian, however, has looked very ordinary in the five matches he has played for KKR this season. Even though he has bowled his full complement of overs (4) in every match, he has only picked two wickets. Narine, who boasts a career economy rate in IPL is 5.92, has leaked 7.35 runs per over this season.
Against the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Narine bowled the 5th, 11th, 14th and 16th overs and gave away 38 runs without taking any wicket. Narine’s best outing this season has been against the Kings XI Punjab in Pune where he claimed 1/17 in four overs.
KKR management, however, has stood by Narine and blamed the playing surface at Eden for his ineffectiveness in their first two home matches. Narine had figures of 0/28 against Mumbai Indians and 0/26 against RCB. KKR, though, has sufficient cover for Narine with the likes of Johan Botha and Brad Hogg waiting in the wings.
Narine, who has claimed 67 wickets in the first three seasons with KKR, was rushed to Chennai once again to get his action cleared.
Even KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir agreed that Narine is a vital cog to their wheel. “Sunil has obviously been our main bowler and our attack has revolved around him,” he stated.
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