Wrong time to ban bowlers with suspect actions - Richards

Thu, Oct 9, '14

Former West Indies captain Viv Richards has said the ICC's crackdown on bowlers with suspect actions has not come at the correct time and it should have been done a while ago.

"In my opinion such action should have been taken some time ago and on a wider basis because these guys have been there for quite some time," Richards said in Colombo, where he is with the West Indies A team as technical director.

"I am not sure because West Indies are touring India, there is going to be a World Cup next year, whether all this has something to do with it, I just believe the timing has to be good. With the next World Cup around the corner this is not the correct time to take such measures."

West Indies spinner Sunil Narine was reported twice for a suspect action during the recent Champions League T20 and was barred from bowling in the final and other tournaments organised by the BCCI. The West Indies Cricket Board took a precautionary measure of withdrawing him from the India tour "to have his action assessed."