Chennai included as ICC testing centre for suspect bowling

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced that Cricket Australia's National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai have been accredited as testing centres for suspected illegal bowling actions.

The two centres join Cardiff Metropolitan University as testing facilities for players reported in international cricket under the ICC Regulations for the Review of Bowlers reported with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.

The two facilities were assessed against a range of criteria, including having an indoor area large enough to allow a player to bowl off his or her normal full run-up; a motion analysis system with a minimum of 12 high speed cameras capable of producing three-dimensional data, suitably qualified personnel, experienced in using such systems, and implementing the ICC testing protocol.

The ICC has provided its testing protocol, which includes a suite of testing equipment and software, to the three accredited centres, to allow for a consistent assessment of bowlers across the different facilities and countries.

ICC General Manager Geoff Allardice said, "We are pleased to announce the accreditation of these two new testing centres, which will help us better manage the issue of illegal bowling actions in cricket. The accreditation of these facilities will make testing more accessible for elite cricketers, while also providing a more consistent assessment of bowlers' actions through the common use of the ICC protocols, equipment and processes. The facilities also allow for bowlers in domestic competitions and in under-age squads to be tested against the ICC standard before they represent their country," he said.

The accreditation of the National Cricket Centre and the Sri Ramachandra University is part of an ICC effort to tackle the issue of illegal bowling actions in a number of ways, including the location of accredited testing facilities in each region. With several other countries showing interest in hosting testing centres to help them assess bowlers in their domestic competitions, the ICC expects to assess and accredit a select range of additional facilities over the coming years.

A real determined crack down !