Sydney Thunder off-spinner banned from bowling for 90 days after he was cited for a suspect action in a KFC BBL match last week
Green banned due to an illegal bowling action
Sydney Thunder spinner Chris Green has been banned from bowling for three months due to an illegal bowling action.
Green was cited during the Thunder’s loss to the Melbourne Stars last week and underwent testing on his action in Brisbane on Sunday.
The results from the testing ruled that Green’s action is illegal and he has therefore been suspended from bowling for a period of 90 days in all Cricket Australia-run competitions, effectively ending his KFC BBL season.
The 26-year-old can still be picked as a batter for the Thunder and he’s also allowed to bowl in Premier Cricket for his Sydney club side under the supervision and with the consent of Cricket NSW.
Green was due to play for the Thunder in tonight’s match against the Stars at the MCG, but he has been withdrawn from their squad and replaced by Jason Sangha.
"We’d like to commend Chris and the Thunder for the way they have approached this process with complete cooperation and respect,” Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s Head of Cricket Operations, said in a statement.
"Chris undertook testing at the earliest possible time and satisfactorily replicated his bowling action in the controlled environment.
"We look forward to working with Chris in the coming months and conducting further testing once the suspension period has elapsed."
Green has been a vital part of the Thunder side for many years and recently signed a six-season deal with the Sydney club, the longest in tournament history.
He’s been a successful bowler in T20 leagues around the world and had been spoken about as a potential international player ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
"Playing for Australia would be a dream come true – for me it would be the ultimate," he told cricket.com.au earlier this year.
"I know there's some really fierce competition in there. Ashton (Agar) and Adam Zampa have had a lot of success in that format, and Nathan (Lyon) now, to see the way he's bowling and getting opportunities in one-day cricket.
"I know I have to try and put performances on the board. I'm hopeful I can continue to do so and showcase my points of difference by being able to bowl in the power play or be able to bowl at the back end."
It’s the second time in as many seasons that a Thunder spinner has been banned from bowling due to a suspect bowling action. Twelve months ago, Arjun Nair also copped a three-month ban, but he has since had his action cleared and returned to Big Bash cricket.
Extremely gutted to see the news about @chrisgreen_93 Hard to see ur best mate going through hard time, we r all behind u n I know u really well for a long time now , u r smart,intelligent,young and energetic and I know u will fix this soon #staystrong👊🏽— Fawad Ahmed (@bachaji23) January 8, 2020
Nair is now expected to take on a major spin role at the Thunder for the rest of the season in Green’s absence.
"Chris is a crowd favourite, and he’s also an extremely popular member of our club," Thunder coach Shane Bond said in a statement.
"Sydney Thunder signed Chris to a long-term deal with the club because of his leadership qualities and obvious talent. He’s an important part of our future and the club will support him through this process."
Green's bowling ban currently applies to CA competitions only and it's up to boards in other countries if they decide to uphold the ruling in their domestic competitions.
Green was recently bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders to play this year's Indian Premier League - which starts before Green's 90-day CA-enforced ban has elapsed - and his participation in that tournament will be determined by India's governing body.