ICC rules Tyron’s action to be illegal

A devastating blow came for Sri Lanka last week as one of the country’s brightest young prospects for international cricket A.K. Tyron had been found by the International Cricket Council’s authorised laboratory at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia to have an illegal action and was recommended to be suspended from bowling in all forms of cricket until his action is corrected, sources told “Daily Mirror” yesterday.

The results of the report received by SLC had been contrary to what “Daily Mirror” reported on May 1 quoting the bowler Tyron himself and SLC officials.

An SLC source said that the laboratory that tested Tyron on March 24 this year had observed a massive 25.1 degree straightening of the arm by the young off spinner in his normal delivery while Tyron’s doosra had measured an even bigger straightening of 26.3 degrees.

SLC’s coaching department has assigned Sri Lanka national spin bowling coach Piyal Wijetunge to work with Tyron and correct his action before he undergoes a second Test at the ICC laboratory in Perth later.

Wijetunge had stated that he felt that Tyron would need to work hard on his action.

“A K Tyronne’s bowling action has been found to be an illegal one at the test done at UWA and was given a remedial program to be followed in order to remodel his action into a legal one. According to my opinion, Tyronne will have to make a resolute effort to remediate his action and it is advisable to suspend him from playing in the domestic tournaments until the remedial process is completed. Otherwise, playing competition cricket during this period would affect the process and would lengthen the remedial period,” Wijetunge had written in his observation to the SLC.

Tyron said he was shocked by the result and claimed that he had no indication of an illegal action during testing in Perth.

“I am keen to make it clean. I would start the correction procedure on May 25 with coach Wijetunge,” Tyron told “Daily Mirror”. He is to go on a short tour of Malaysia with the big match winning Richmond team before starting his work at the national academy.

The lanky right arm spinner had been reported by umpire Lindon Hannibal for a suspect action during a series Sri Lanka Under 19 had played against Australia prior to last year’s Under 19 World Cup in UAE.

The young bowler had then undergone remedial measures with SLC’s top coaches at the national academy before taking part in the Under 19 World Cup, but there, he had been reported by the umpires again for a suspect action which resulted in ICC asking SLC to send him to the laboratory in Perth for a further assessment.

According to the Laws of Cricket bowlers are not allowed to extend their arm during the bowling action as only the rotation of the shoulder is allowed to be used to deliver the ball. However, as no extension is almost impossible, bowlers are allowed a grace of straightening their arm a few degrees in their delivery action. Current ICC regulations specify that the bowler would be allowed to straighten the arm to a maximum angle of 15 degrees at the elbow during delivery. The amount of straightening is calculated between the point at which the bowling arm passes above shoulder height and the point at which the ball is released. The 15 degree grace has been permitted to allow the natural flexing of the elbow joint during a legal delivery.

Despite the massive disparity in Tyron’s action with legal limits, a top SLC coach expressed confidence that they would be able to turn the promising cricketer into a world class spinner with a correct action.

Tyron captained the Richmond College team which emerged unbeaten schools champions for the second successive year and finished their season with a magnificent innings win over Mahinda in the big match. In the big match, Tyron who missed most of the school season due to national duty with the Sri Lanka Under 19 team, scored a century and also captured six wickets in the first innings. (By Channaka de Silva)

Source: Daily Mirror (Sri Lanka)