Bangladesh, who are struggling as a cricket team in West Indies, suffered a further blow on Sunday when off-spinner Sohag Gazi was reported with suspect bowling action during Friday’s second one-day international in Grenada. The match officials’ report, which was handed over to Bangladesh team manager Habibul Bashar on Saturday, cited concerns about the legality of the 23-year-old’s bowling action for all deliveries, said an ICC statement on Sunday.
Sohag’s bowling action will now be scrutinised further under the ICC process relating to suspected illegal bowling actions reported in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.
Sohag is the third off-spinner in a week to be reported for suspec action by match officials after Pakistan Saeed Ajmal and Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya.
Bangladesh team manager Habibul Bashar informed that Sohag remained normal after he was conveyed the decision to him and is looking forward to getting cleared by taking the necessary steps.
‘Sohag did not break down immediately after the news of his suspected bowling action broke out,’ Bashar told New Age from St Kitts over telephone on Sunday.
Earlier in the year, Sri Lankan off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake was also reported for illegal action by the ICC.
Senanayake, however, was recently cleared after necessary remedial works. Sohag is not the first Bangladeshi to face such ordeal as the ICC had earlier reported Bangladesh’s left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak at least twice for illegal action.
Razzak successfully rectified his action and returned to international cricket to remain Bangladesh’s most successful ODI bowler so far.
-With New Age input
