Alis Al Islam faces allegations of a suspect bowling action once again
Bangladesh spinner Alis Al Islam is facing allegations of a suspect bowling action once again. He had faced the same kind of allegation once before, and the question has now been raised anew.
An allegation of a suspect bowling action means a question has arisen over whether the movement of his arm while delivering the ball stays within the limits set by the laws of the game. Under cricket's regulations, a bowler facing such an allegation has to go through a prescribed process.
Alis Al Islam is a familiar face in domestic cricket. He has drawn attention at various times with his spin bowling. But with his action now under question, uncertainty has returned to his career once again.
Such allegations usually originate from the observations of umpires or match officials during a match. Afterwards, the legality of the action is assessed through a review of video footage and, if necessary, biomechanical testing.
If testing proves the action to be illegal, the bowler has to undertake remedial work and may have to stay away from bowling until he passes a retest. If, on the other hand, the action is found to be legal, he can continue playing without interruption.
In Alis's case, details have not yet emerged about which match or tournament prompted this allegation, or what the next steps in the process will be.
Several bowlers in Bangladesh cricket have faced questions over their actions before. Many returned successfully after remedial work, while the careers of some others suffered long disruptions.
Alis's fans and teammates must now wait for the outcome of the formal process. The test result will decide how quickly he can return to bowling at full tilt.
