Exceeding 15 degrees: Phangiso’s World T20 hopes dashed

South African spinner’s action deemed illegal after tests

JOHANNESBURG: South African left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso’s bowling action has been found to be illegal, putting in doubt his chances of playing in the World T20 in India later this month.

Phangiso underwent independent tests after being reported for a suspected illegal action last month.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Tuesday that tests conducted at an International Cricket Council-accredited laboratory in Pretoria last Friday had found that all variations of his bowling action exceeded the 15 degrees of tolerance allowed.



Phangiso has been withdrawn from the first two of South Africa’s three T20Is against Australia, starting in Durban on Friday.

But he will stay with the squad and work on his action together with Claude Henderson, the team’s spin bowling coach and Vincent Barnes, the CSA high performance manager.



He will undergo further tests on Monday, March 7, to establish whether he can play in the final match against Australia on March 9 and travel with the South African team to the World T20.

Phangiso was reported after the domestic one-day semi-final but pending the results of the tests was able to help his team, the Lions, beat Cape Cobras in the final in Cape Town last Sunday, taking three wickets for 33 runs.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2016.

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