Suspect actions during the World Cup will be evaluated within seven days in a fast-track commitment drawn up by the ICC. The evaluation process aims to limit the period to a minimum, ensuring that bowling actions are judged with alacrity to reduce disruption of the tournament.

The Brisbane accreditation centre was opened only three months ago with the World Cup much in mind, offering the chance to either clear or suspend bowlers within six days. Previously, tests have taken up to three weeks after the bowler has been reported, with the chance of another fortnight's delay before a written report is received.

The ICC's regulation for reporting bowlers with suspect actions now states, said an ICC spokesman, that: "Independent analysis shall be carried out and the independent assessment furnished on an expedited basis. In this respect, every reasonable effort shall be made for the independent analysis to be carried out and the independent assessment furnished within a period of seven days from the date of receipt of the match officials' report."

The faster evaluation is part of ICC's effort to eradicate suspect bowling actions and is bound to defeat any strategy by a team thinking of saving a bowler with a suspect action for later stages of the World Cup.

That would have worked under the Standard Regulations applicable to non-ICC Events where the bowler can continue to bowl in international cricket as long as he is tested within three weeks of being reported. Although the relevant rule (2.1.5) states that an independent analysis would be carried out "as soon as reasonably possible", a period of 21 days has been adopted as acceptable, bearing in mind logistical and operational issues.

The shift in policy was signalled by Dave Richardson, the ICC chief executive, on Tuesday when he said: "The ICC-accredited testing centre in Brisbane is on stand-by so that if somebody is reported early on in the tournament, he can go straight off to Brisbane, get tested within five or six days, and we can have the report so that he can either continue bowling if he's found to be legal, or if he's illegal, then he will be suspended."

The ICC, Richardson stressed, was unrelenting on suspect actions, an issue that had been dormant for a long time but having gained momentum with high-profile bowlers being reported both in international cricket as well as domestic cricket.

Pakistan offspinners Saeed Ajmal and Mohammad Hafeez were previously reported in international cricket while West Indies spinner Sunil Narine was disqualified from bowling in the Champions League T20 final last year having been reported in two successive matches.

Ajmal has expressed confidence that unofficial tests at Edgbaston have indicated that his deliveries are within legal limits again.
(Cricinfo)