Spinner Matthew Kuhnemann risks missing Australia’s upcoming Test tour of the West Indies if his bowling action isn’t cleared during this week’s biomechanical testing in Brisbane.
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The 28-year-old has been temporarily suspended from bowling in international cricket after his action was reported during the second Test of the recent Warne–Muralitharan Trophy campaign in Sri Lanka.
Under ICC guidelines, Kuhnemann will need to undergo an independent assessment of his action by a panel of human-movement specialists within a fortnight of when Cricket Australia was notified. He reportedly completed the testing in Brisbane over the weekend and will learn his fate within the next ten days.
Pending the results, he could find himself ineligible for selection for the three-Test series in the West Indies, which gets underway in June. With Australia expected to pick two strike spinners for the Caribbean tour, Kuhnemann has a strong chance of earning a call-up if available to play.
The left-armed spinner was the leading wicket-taker of the Sri Lanka series with 16 scalps at 17.18. He was set to play this week’s Sheffield Shield match against South Australia at Adelaide Oval, but the Tasmanian recruit was ruled out with injury.
“He has obviously had a fantastic couple of weeks away with the Aussie side, and was a big factor in them winning that series over there,” Tigers captain Jordan Silk said this week.
“It’s come as a shock to a lot of people, but all we can do as an organisation is wrap our arms around him and look forward to having him back around the group.”
Matt Kuhnemann’s stunning second five-fa | 01:33
Why was Kuhnemann cited?
Kuhnemann was reported after match officials had “concerns about the legality of his bowling action” during the second Test in Galle, which Australia won by nine wickets. The decision involved input from on-field umpire Joel Wilson and Adrian Holdstock, third umpire TV Chris Gaffaney and reserve umpire Prageeth Rambukwella, while replays were consulted along with on-field observations.
Although Kuhnemann wasn’t cited until after the second Test, Cricbuzz reported that Sri Lanka players had expressed concerns about his bowling action during the previous week’s series opener at the same venue.
As pointed out by CA, Kuhnemann had played more than 100 professional matches, including five Tests and four ODIs, since 2017 without being cited for a suspect action. Wilson also officiated one of Kuhnemann’s previous Test appearances during the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign in India without concern.
“It’s come as a bit of a surprise to me,” Australian captain Steve Smith told reporters last week.
“He has been playing for eight years in professional cricket and nothing has been said in that amount of time.
“I am thinking of him. At present, he has to go through the process.
“We’re confident he will pass. He will go through that process back home. We wish him all the best.”
What constitutes an illegal bowling action?
A bowler is deemed to have an illegal bowling action if their elbow joint exceeds 15 degrees at any point between when the arm goes horizontal and when the ball is released. Flexing or rotating the wrist during the delivery swing is permitted.
Article 2.1 of the ICC’s Illegal Bowling Regulations also states: “Any elbow hyperextension shall be discounted for the purposes of determining an illegal bowling action.”
Speaking on his YouTube channel in 2023, retired Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed that Kuhnemann’s wrist movement gave the perception he was chucking.
“An interesting feature of his action is his loading,” Ashwin said.
“For Kuhnemann, his wrist breaks during his loading. So sometimes it will look like there is an elbow extension. There is nothing like that in his action. But there is wrist involvement, for sure.
“Because of this wrist involvement, the ball will come down faster.”
What does the testing process entail?
Officials did not disclose details of Kuhnemann’s assessment, but he underwent testing at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane despite the ICC preferring that players conduct the process overseas. The other approved testing centres are in Lahore, Chennai, South Africa and England.
A specialist from the ICC’s panel of human movement experts will supervise the ordeal, where Kuhnemann will be required to bowl between 18 and 36 deliveries pending the testing team’s discretion.
The biomechanical testing, which will be conducted indoors on a full-length pitch, involves markers being placed on the shirtless bowler’s arms and torso, with multiple high-speed cameras and a 3D motion analysis system capturing their movement. Data obtained from infrared beams of light that bounce off the markers help experts analyse the bowling action.
The ICC regulations state: “The testing team may require shaving of some areas of the player’s skin for the purpose of securely attaching the marker set.”
Importantly, Kuhnemann will be required to replicate the speed — approximately 92km/h — and ball revolutions he achieved during the second Test in Sri Lanka. All of his variation deliveries are expected to be tested, while he will be required to bowl on a good length.
“He can’t just roll in and bowl at 75km/h with a straight arm, which most people would be able to do,” former Australian spinner Xavier Doherty told the ABC Sport Daily.
“He’s got to bowl at match pace (with his) match action and roll through all his repertoire with all the bobbles and cameras all over him.
“It’s a very thorough test.
“My gut feeling is he’ll be okay, but time will tell.”
Results from the testing must be submitted to the ICC within ten days.
What if Kuhnemann is found to have an illegal bowling action?
If cleared, Kuhnemann will be allowed to resume bowling in international cricket effective immediately, but if he is found to have an illegal action, or fail to replicate his bowling from the Sri Lanka tour, he will be suspended from bowling in international cricket and at domestic level.
In such a scenario, Kuhnemann would remain banned until he modifies his bowling action to meet the ICC requirements and passes another independent assessment.
The process of changing one’s bowling action could take several weeks or even months, which would put Kuhnemann in a race against the clock to clear himself before the West Indies tour. Suspended players can apply to the ICC for a reassessment of their bowling action at any time.
However, if a player is found to have an illegal bowling action twice within a two-year period, they risk copping a more severe punishment.
Article 6.12 of the ICC’s Illegal Bowling Regulations states: “In the event of a player being suspended from bowling in international cricket under these illegal bowling regulations for a second time within a period of two years from the date of the commencement of the first period of suspension, the player shall be automatically suspended from bowling in international cricket for a minimum period of one year.”
Has this happened before?
Sydney Thunder tweaker Chris Green was suspended from bowling in all domestic cricket for 90 days after he was cited for a suspect action during a Big Bash League game against the Melbourne Stars in January 2020.
The off-spinner was found to have an illegal bowling action after undergoing testing in Brisbane, prematurely ending his BBL campaign with the Thunder.
Five months later, Green was cleared to return to competitive cricket after further biomechanical testing deemed his bowling action to be legal. During the suspension, he was still eligible to play T20 tournaments in other nations with the local governing body’s approval.
In January 2018, fellow Thunder spinner Arjun Nair was also banned from bowling in domestic cricket for three months after being reported for a suspect action in the BBL.
Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and South African tweaker Johan Botha, who currently coaches Kuhnemann at the Brisbane Heat, were also required to undergo testing on their bowling action during their playing days.
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