DUBAI: Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya will be allowed to resume bowling in international cricket following remedial work on his action, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced Friday.
Dananjaya was banned from bowling in international matches for 12 months after being reported for exceeding the 15 degree level of tolerance for arm flexion during a Test against New Zealand in Galle.
It was the second time in a year his action had been found to be illegal.
His suspension period ended in August 2020 but Dananjaya still had to satisfy an ICC panel that his new action complied with their regulations for internationals.
As he could not attend an ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory due to global travel restrictions impose following the Covid-19 pandemic, Dananjaya was cleared by an expert panel that viewed footage of his new action supplied by Sri Lanka Cricket.
Dananjaya’s ban did significant damage to a promising career, coming at a time when he had established himself as Sri Lanka’s leading spinner in white-ball cricket and was being used increasingly in Tests.
Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2021
