Kolkata Knight Riders have expressed “surprise” about their premier offspinner Sunil Narine being reported for suspect action in the match against Kings XI Punjab on October 10. Narine was placed on a “warning list” by the IPL, which said the offspinner would be “suspended” in case he were to be reported again this tournament.
According to the Knight Riders, even Narine was surprised at being reported at the halfway stage of the tournament because there were “no concerns” expressed by any match officials in the five previous outings prior to the Kings XI match.
“This [Narine being reported for suspect action] came as a surprise to the franchise and Mr. Narine, considering he has played over 115 games in the IPL since 2012 and as many as 68 games since 2015, when he was last reported during the IPL season for a suspect action before being subsequently cleared completely by SRASSC, an ICC accredited facility,” the franchise said in a media statement on Monday. “Furthermore, he was playing his sixth game this season, with no concerns expressed formally or informally by the match officials so far.”
The IPL said Narine’s suspect action was reported by the on-field umpires Chris Gaffeney and Ulhas Gandhe. However, the IPL did not specify which type of delivery/deliveries Narine was reported for.
The franchise has not indicated whether Narine would feature in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday evening.
Narine, the most successful bowler for the Knight Riders in IPL, was one of the two players retained by the franchise in 2018 along with Andre Russell. So far this IPL, while his batting returns have diminished, Narine has been instrumental with the ball, particularly in the death overs.
Narine played the winning hand in the two-run victory against Kings XI by defending 14 in the final over.
As per IPL rules Narine’s bowling action for the type of delivery/deliveries reported would be reviewed and corrected if necessary. Narine can continue to bowl the type of delivery/deliveries he was pulled up for, but will be suspended if reported again. The Knight Riders, however, remain optimistic about resolving the issue soon.
“We are respectful of the process that the IPL has put in place to have his action reviewed, and are working closely with the IPL in this matter. We are hopeful that there would be an appropriate resolution quickly. We appreciate the cooperation being extended by the IPL in expediting this matter.”
