Hong Kong’s Munir Dar has been banned for one year by the International Cricket Council for an illegal bowling action.
It could signal the end of the career of the 41-year-old left-arm spinner who was left out of the Hong Kong squad in New Zealand preparing for the World Cup (50 overs) qualifiers.
The city’s top strike bowler at the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers in the United Arab Emirates, Dar failed to pass the scrutiny of the world governing body after being reported twice for chucking by umpires in that tournament.
Dar was initially cleared to play on a report submitted by the Hong Kong Cricket Association but further analysis found his suspect action was illegitimate. A study by the ICC showed the amount of elbow extension in Dar’s action across all deliveries (stock delivery, quicker one and arm ball) exceeded the 15 degrees level of tolerance permitted by the governing body.
Dar was reported twice during the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers, first on November 15 following a group match against Italy, and then on November 28 after a play-off match against Papua New Guinea. When reported the first time, Dar was cleared after the ICC accepted a report by the HKCA, which concluded that his action was legal.
He continued playing knowing that any subsequent report within a period of two years of the date of the first report would require him to undergo an ICC analysis.