Board gets extension to file report on off-spinner
HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — The International Cricket Council (ICC) has agreed to a request from Bermuda authorities and granted them a two-week extension to submit a report on Allan Douglas Jnr’s bowling action, the Royal Gazette newspaper said Thursday.
All-rounder Douglas, who bowls off-spin, was reported for a suspect action by the umpires during a match against Singapore at last month’s Pepsi ICC Division Three tournament in Malaysia where Bermuda finished bottom of the six countries taking part and were relegated to Division Four along with the United States.
The Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) was subsequently given 21 days to submit a report on Douglas’ action, which has now been extended until next Friday.
“We asked for an extension, which we got,” BCB chief executive Neil Speight told the Gazette.
“It had to be done in 21 days but when we got back from Malaysia we found we didn’t have what we needed, so we asked for an extension to that deadline”.
Speight said bowling coach Lorenzo Tucker, national coach Arnold Manders — who missed the Malaysia tour because of pneumonia — and chairman of coaching Allan Douglas, Sr, the bowler’s father, will look at his action and submit a report to the ICC.
“At this level, you can go by eye or do your own video. We have match footage of him anyway.”
The ICC has been clamping down on suspect bowling actions of bowlers at international level, mostly off-spinners.
“The ICC cricket committee is getting more and more concerned about suspect deliveries,” Speight said.
“All players cited in the last five to six months have tended to be off spinners.”