The ICC officials have expressed their concerns about the bowling actions of Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny being suspect, which has left the Bangladesh team livid. Their coach Chandika Hathurusingha informed reporters that his team had received written and official communication from the match officials that they were “concerned” the actions of the duo. He said, though, that the duo was free to play and bowl for the time being. However, they will have to now go for a test of their actions within seven days of the report, which leaves Chennai centre as their only option if they are to continue taking part in the World T20.*
Hathurusingha, though, didn’t feel there was anything suspect about their actions, and questioned the timing of this report – following their game against Netherlands on Wednesday – while they have been bowling “the same way for the last 12 months”.
“If they have a concern about my bowlers, I have a concern about their [ICC’s] actions as well,” Hathurusingha said. “I don’t see anything wrong. They have bowled the same way as the last 12 months. As you said if they [the ICC officials] have officiated the matches they have been playing, they must have seen something different yesterday. That’s all I can say.”
The report is made by the on-field umpires to the match referee, who communicates it to the team. To lend weight to Hathurusingha’s claim, one of the on-field umpires making this report, Rod Tucker, and the match referee for the match, Andy Pycroft, officiated in Bangladesh games in as recently as June 2015. Tucker was an on-field umpire when Bangladesh beat India 2-1 at home, and Pycroft was the match referee. Hathurusingha says the actions of the bowlers have not changed over the last 12 months.
Asked how it affects his side now, Hathurusingha promised they were not going to change their actions. “It’s about how you take it,” Hathurusingha said. “As bowlers they are strong enough to understand what they are doing is right. We also think that we have no concern. They have played so much cricket, recently as well. It is a surprise for us. We have to take their concerns. They are only concerns at this stage. I don’t think it will affect the way we are playing.”
Hathurusingha insisted in one word, “yes”, that he believed their actions were clean.
The match officials have been in focus in the Dharamshala leg of the qualifiers after Oman revealed they were being subtly asked to refrain from mankading. They budged from their pro-mankading stance and agreed to warn the non-striker before running him out in the delivery stride.
