New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson is on the verge of getting banned from bowling in international cricket after onfield umpires reported him with a suspect action following the conclusion of the opening Test between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Hosts Sri Lanka took a 1-0 lead I the two-match Test series after winning the first Test by 6 wickets.
Williamson was forced to bowl a few overs in the 2nd innings of the opening Test as the Sri Lankan batters utterly dominated the proceedings on a pitch which had become more threatening due to the slowness of the pitch. Meanwhile, it was not only Williamson who was reported for a suspect action, but even Sri Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya was also reported for a suspect action.
The Kiwis skipper was first banned from bowling in international cricket back in 2014 after it was found that the elbow extension for Williamson was more than the 15 degrees permissible in international cricket under the rules of ICC. Williamson changed his action and on the ICC approval, he was allowed to bowl again. However, after 5 years, he has faced the same charges.
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The New Zealand captain will undergo a test by the end of this month. Till the results are out, he will be allowed to bowl in international cricket. However, Williamson might not be required to bowl in this time frame. New Zealand already has 4 spinners in their squad for the 2nd Test so Williamson might not be required to bowl in the next Test. His next international assignment is expected to be the 1st T20I against England on 1st November.
Meanwhile, it must be noted that Akila Danajaya will be more worried as he has just returned after getting his action cleared by the ICC. He bowled brilliantly in the 1st Test and bagged 6 wickets in the match. Meanwhile, Williamson is hopeful of scoring big in the 2nd Test after scoring a nought and 4 in the opening Test.
