Sunil Narine's bowling action was reported multiple times, leading to suspensions and modifications to his action that significantly impacted his international career.
West Indian spinner Sunil Narine, one of the most devastating bowlers in T20 cricket, had his bowling action reported multiple times between 2014 and 2015. The ICC's scrutiny of suspect actions caught Narine in its net, with umpires flagging his deliveries for exceeding the 15-degree elbow extension limit.
Narine was suspended from bowling in international cricket and had to undergo remedial work on his action. He modified his technique and was eventually cleared, but the process was disruptive to his career. He was withdrawn from the 2015 World Cup squad and his international appearances became increasingly rare.
The case highlighted the tension between on-field umpires' visual assessments and the bio-mechanical reality. An action that looks suspicious to the naked eye may be within the 15-degree limit, and vice versa. The ICC's reporting process relied on umpires' suspicions triggering laboratory testing.
Narine continued to dominate in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders but his international career never recovered the momentum it had before the action scrutiny. His case, along with others like Saeed Ajmal's, raised questions about the fairness and timing of action reviews.
Action reported and modified. Narine was cleared after remedial work but his international career was significantly curtailed.
Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals
29 May 2026
The Qualifier 2 toss between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals at Mullanpur had to be conducted twice after match referee Prakash Bhatt failed to hear Riyan Parag's call — a visible frustration for Shubman Gill who appeared to have won the original toss before the do-over.
Lucknow Super Giants vs Kolkata Knight Riders
26 April 2026
Kartik Tyagi bowled two beamers in the final over of LSG's chase but was allowed to continue — umpires called only one dangerous — sparking IPL fury.
Various county and representative sides
1864-06-01
The legalisation of overarm bowling in 1864 created an immediate grey zone: how high could the arm go, and at what point did a fast delivery become an illegal throw? Through the 1860s English cricket struggled with this question as a succession of fast bowlers developed actions that umpires suspected but rarely no-balled, creating a climate of suspicion that would recur in every generation of cricket thereafter.