Taskin Ahmed, Arafat Sunny cleared to bowl by ICC

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Taskin Ahmed

Bangladesh fast bowler Taskin Ahmed and spinner Arafat Sunny have been cleared by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and are eligible to bowl in international cricket with immediate effect after undergoing remedial work on their bowling action.

Taskin and Sunny were reported during the ICC World Twenty20 in India earlier this year and were subsequently banned by the governing body. Despite the ban, both of them went on to play domestic cricket in Bangladesh. Sunny also worked with head coach Chandika Hathurusingha and former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju to remodel his action following which the Bangladesh Cricket Board expressed their confidence in getting the actions of both the bowlers cleared. The players then underwent a test in Brisbane on September 8.

“At the re-assessments, which were carried out at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane on 8 September, it was revealed that the amount of elbow extension in all of Arafat and Taskin’s deliveries were now within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations,” the ICC said in a statement on Friday (September 23).

The duo is now likely to be included for the home series against England after being picked in the 30-man preliminary squad in July. Prior to the England series, Bangladesh will play Afghanistan at home in a three-match One-Day International series with the first game slated to be played on September 25 in Dhaka.