BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Off-spinner Marlon Samuels has been slapped with a one-year ban by the International Cricket Council from bowling in international cricket.
This follows independent testing of the 34-year-old’s action at the ICC’s accredited assessment centre here earlier this month which revealed the player’s elbow extension was in contravention of the 15 degrees allowed under current regulations.
Samuels was previously suspended from bowling his faster delivery back in 2013 and the second suspension coming within a two-year time frame has resulted in the immediate one-year ban.
The ICC said in a statement Samuels could ask for a re-assessment after the ban expired.
“Samuels is entitled to appeal any procedural aspect of the Independent Assessment that has led to this automatic suspension,” the statement said.
“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.”
The Jamaican, more known for his right-handed batting, was reported by umpires for a suspected illegal bowling action following the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle last month.
He was allowed to continue bowling in the series until the assessment was carried out and the results known.
The ban further compounds an already crisis-ridden tour of Australia for West Indies who were crushed by an innings and 212 runs inside three days in the opening Test in Hobart.
On Saturday, fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was forced out of the series with injury, after pulling up lame after bowling 10 overs of the Australia first innings.