Sunil Narine can bowl off-breaks, but given ‘final warning’

Narine’s action was scrutinised — for the third time in a month — in Chennai following his earlier off-break ban. During the test, the West Indian mystery spinner bowled with his remodelled action; the one that had been cleared ahead of the IPL.

The BCCI’s suspect bowling action committee found the action within the permissible limit of 15 degrees, Narine was given the go-ahead to bowl his off-spinners. He already had the licence to bowl the ‘knuckle ball’ and the ‘quicker straight ball’.

“The player underwent a third biomechanical analysis of his action . and the Committee determined that Mr Narine’s name be removed from the IPL Suspected Illegal Bowling Action Policy’s Warning List and that he may once more bowl all deliveries (the off-spinner, the knuckle ball and the quicker straight ball) in matches organised by the BCCI including the IPL,” said BCCI.

Narine played the first five matches of this IPL with the re-modelled action, taking two wickets. In the first-leg fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, he had apparently reverted to his old action in the face of a David Warner onslaught. His off-breaks were under the scanner and reported against. KKR coach Trevor Bayliss hinted the other day that the spinner had erred under pressure. “Over a period of time, under a little bit of pressure, the body reverts to the action you usually bowl,” he said.

Now the team management faces the selection dilemma; whether to play him or leave him out. Bayliss feels it would time for Narine to perfect his remodelled action.

Further in his statement, the BCCI gave final warning to the Narine. “Any further report…will automatically mean that Mr Narine is banned from bowling for the rest of the season.”