Samuels cleared to bowl after 12-month ban

(Photo: Getty Images)

By Harvey Burgess

Marlon Samuels, the West Indies all-rounder, has been cleared to bowl in international cricket again after serving a 12-month ban.

The 36-year-old was reported during a Test against Sri Lanka in October 2015, after which the ICC found Samuels guilty of an illegal action. The ICC rules state that the angle of the bowling arm must not exceed 15 degrees.

On January 29, Samuels underwent tests in Loughborough, where it was found he had successfully remodeled his action.

It was not the first time that the Jamaican-born cricketer had been banned; in 2008 he was called into question for the first time during a match against South Africa and he wasn’t cleared to bowl again until 2011.

Then in November 2013, Samuels was again reported for a suspect bowling arm, but after tests he was banned only from bowling his quicker ball.

Samuels has played purely as a batsman during his two three bowling bans, but will now be able to add some spin to West Indies’ attack.

In 66 Tests for his country, the right-hander has taken 41 wickets and scored 3917 runs, with a high score of 260 against Bangladesh in 2012.