Kolkata Knight Riders off-spinner Sunil Narine is likely to play against the Hobart Hurricanes, despite been reported for a suspect bowling action in a Champions League T20 game the Dolphins.
The Knight Riders have decided not to challenge the decision but will field him in the semifinal on October 2. However, if Narine is again reported by the on-field umpires, he will be banned from any BCCI-conducted tournament.
Narine has played an instrumental role in the Knight Riders’ success in the Champions League so far and he is the leading wicket-taker for the Shah Rukh Khan co-owned team. He is also KKR’s mainstay in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
This is not the first time Narine has been called for a suspect bowling action, as in 2011 he was among the nine players that were named to have a suspect action in the Caribbean Premier League.
Narine then underwent a rigorous work on his action and played in the Champions League T20 for the Trinidad and Tobago. Impressed by his performance, the Knight Riders bought him in the auctions for US$ 700,000 in 2012.
The faster deliveries of Narine were told to have exceeded the 15 degree arm-bend limit allowed by the International Cricket Council (ICC). According to According to ESPN Cricinfo, the on-field umpires Chettihody Shamshuddin and Anil Chaudhary picked Narine’s faster deliveries in the 15th overs.
The West Indies mystery spinner is likely to play the remaining T20 games, but the he will be scrutinized in the upcoming series against India.
West Indies are coming to India to play five ODIs, one-off T20 and three Tests and Narine will be the spine of Windies attack in the limited-overs series.
