Akila Dananjaya suspended from bowling in international cricket for 12 months due to illegal action

Dananjaya's bowling action had come under the scanner during the first Test against New Zealand in August this year.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday suspended Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya from bowling in international cricket for 12 months following an independent assessment of his action.

Dananjaya’s bowling action had come under the scanner during the first Test against New Zealand in August this year. Sri Lanka, who had beaten the Blackcaps in the first Test, then decided to not pick him in the second Test following match officials questioned Dananjaya’s action.

An independent assessment of his bowling action in Chennai on August 29 revealed that he bowled with an illegal action.

“The 25-year-old was assessed after the legality of his bowling action came under question by match officials in the first Test against New Zealand in Galle from 14-18 August. He subsequently underwent the independent assessment in Chennai on 29 August, which revealed that he employed an illegal bowling action,” said ICC in a media release on Thursday.

Dananjaya was earlier suspended from bowling in December last year. However, he was reassessed after the remedial work and was once again allowed to bowl in international cricket in February this year.

“Dananjaya was originally suspended from bowling in December 2018. Following remedial work on his bowling action, he was reassessed and permitted to resume bowling in February 2019,” said ICC.

“As the latest report constitutes the player’s second report within a two-year period, the first of which led to a suspension, he is automatically suspended from bowling in international cricket for a period of 12 months. Dananjaya will be entitled to approach the ICC for a re-assessment of his bowling action after the expiry of this one-year period,” concluded ICC.