ICC suspends Bangladesh bowlers Taskin Ahmed, Arafat Sunny

Bangladesh were dealt a blow ahead of their World Twenty20 Super 10 Group 2 game against Australia, with both Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect.

Taskin, the pace spearhead, and Sunny, the left-arm spinner, were under a cloud after being reported following Bangladesh’s World T20 qualifier against the Netherlands in Dharamsala on 9 March.

Their actions were then independently assessed at Sri Ramachandra University—Sunny’s on 12 March and Taskin’s on 15 March—and the International Cricket Council (ICC) confirmed on Saturday that their bowling actions had been deemed to be illegal.

“Arafat’s analysis revealed that the elbow extension for majority of his deliveries had exceeded the 15 degrees’ level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers Reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions, while not all of Taskin’s deliveries were legal,” said an ICC statement. “Arafat’s and Taskin’s international suspensions will also be recognised and enforced by all the members for domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction. However, with the consent of Bangladesh Cricket Board, the two bowlers may be able to play in domestic cricket events played in Bangladesh under its auspices.”

Anticipating the development, Khaled Mahmud Sujan, the Bangladesh team manager, told reporters on Friday morning that Saqlain Sajib, the 27-year-old left-arm spinner with close to a decade’s first-class experience, would be called up as Sunny’s replacement. As to who might be called up to cover for Taskin, Mahmud said, “We have (Kamrul Islam) Rabbi and Muktar (Ali) on stand-by, so one of them could come in.”

Rabbi and Muktar are both right-arm medium pacers. Rabbi, 20, is uncapped, while Muktar, 26, played his only T20 International against Zimbabwe this January, conceding 17 runs from the only over he bowled.

Taskin was joined by Al-Amin Hossain and Mashrafe Mortaza in the pace department in the game against Pakistan, which Bangladesh lost by 55 runs, while Mustafizur Rahman is also in the squad, but has been nursing a side strain.

Bangladesh play Australia on Monday in Bangalore, and have games lined up against India on Wednesday in Bangalore and against New Zealand in Kolkata on Saturday.

Mint is in content partnership with Wisden India for 2016 ICC World T20.