DUBAI // Shadeep Silva, the UAE spinner, said he is willing to pay his own way to dispel doubts about his bowling action, as he races against time to make next year’s World Cup squad.
The Sri Lankan left-arm slow bowler has been a mainstay of the national team’s attack for the past eight years, often being entrusted with the new ball.
Silva did not travel to Perth and Darwin this week with the 15-man squad that will play a series of preparatory matches.
Despite being an integral member of the side and the leader of the attack at the World Twenty20 in February this year, he was not even part of the 30-man training squad before the Australia tour.
His absence is born from doubts over the legality of his bowling action.
Silva, 36, was reported at the World Twenty20 qualifier last year as the umpires suspected he may straighten his arm beyond the legal limit of 15 degrees when bowling.
Shadeep said he has had little information on the nature of the report against him.
He hopes the Emirates Cricket Board will give him time to have testing at an official ICC analysis centre so he can be ready for the World Cup in February.
“I am willing to pay for myself if that is what I need to do,” said Shadeep, who works in the flight catering department of Emirates Airline.
“After the qualifier here in November 2013 the board said they had received a letter from the ICC (International Cricket Council) and that I needed to have analysis of my action.
“It is still pending and that is why I was not picked as part of this squad.
“I am waiting to be told if I can go [to an ICC-accredited biomechanics laboratory] in Australia, and I am ready.”
Aaqib Javed, the UAE coach, said the door is still open for a return for Shadeep, who he rates as a “top-line bowler” for the national team.
“He has been reported twice and we are sending him for biomechanical analysis,” Aaqib said before the squad left for Perth on Sunday.
“If he clears, he is a top-line bowler. Nowadays the ICC are very strict on suspect bowling actions.
“We need to be careful, send him for biomechanics analysis, then make our call.”
Shadeep is the fourth UAE spin bowler to be reported in recent years.
He should be encouraged by the fact the other three all retain credible aspirations for playing at next year’s World Cup.
Fayyaz Ahmed, a left-handed all-rounder, and Nasir Aziz, an off-spinner, are both part of the squad for this month's training exercise in Australia.
The other, Vikrant Shetty, was part of the UAE side at the World T20 this year and bowling is the lesser suit when compared to his batting.
Mudassar Nazar, the ICC Academy’s head of development, has taken on the role of batting coach for the national team ahead of the World Cup.
In the past, he was also independently employed to assist bowlers who were suspected of bowling with illegal actions.
“We check them from all different angles and if we are not satisfied, we will do extended work with them,” Nazar said.
“Sometimes it is straightforward work, sometimes it requires a lot of work.
“Whatever modifications you make, there should be repetition done in the nets then in games so they get used to bowling actions.”
Nazar, the former Pakistan all-rounder, said bowlers who are reported should not feel it is the end of the line.
He cited the case of Imran Khan, his former colleague with Pakistan, who changed his bowling action multiple times during his career, as an example that technique changes can be made.
“Nothing is impossible and you can change,” Nazar said. “There is a chance. It is very hard.
“When you modify an action they don’t get the same kind of purchase and that is where the problem lies.
“If they are fast bowlers, they don’t get the same pace. They have to readjust and some become better bowlers because of it.”
pradley@thenational.ae
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