No reaction from West Indies camp

Paceman Lawson reported for second time

by Sa'adi Thawfeeq

West Indies cricket officials decided to stay mum after fast bowler Jermaine Lawson was reported for a suspected bowling action at the end of the first cricket Test against Sri Lanka at the SSC grounds on Saturday.

Lawson took eight wickets in the match which Sri Lanka won by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

The 23-year-old Jamaican bowled at speeds touching 94 mph on the docile SSC pitch and subjected the Sri Lankan batsmen to some anxious moments before they were able to finally clinch victory.

Lawson's action was called into question by the four umpires on duty at the Test namely, on field umpires Simon Taufel and Nadeem Ghauri, third umpire Peter Manuel and standby umpire Ranmore Martinez who submitted the report to International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee Mike Procter.

"We won't be making any immediate comment on the reporting of one of our fast bowlers Jermaine Lawson," said West Indies team media manager Imran Khan yesterday.

"We got to know about the report some time during midday today (Sunday). The report does not prevent Lawson from being selected to play for the rest of the series. We will make a comment on it going into the second Test starting in Kandy on Friday," said Imran.

"The match officials had concerns with potential elbow flexation when viewing the bowler's action with the naked eye. This assessment has led the team of officials to request the ICC to commission a biomechanical report into the bowler's action in accordance with the new process introduced earlier this year," Procter told Cricinfo.

According to the ICC's recently revised bowling review process, Lawson's action will now be analysed by a human movement specialist at the ICC within the next three weeks.

Video tapes of the match will also be submitted for analysis. After the analysis is completed, the biomechanical expert will report back to the ICC, confirming if the action is legal. Lawson in the meantime will be free to play international cricket.

The report on Lawson is the latest body blow to the West Indies team who are currently shorn off several of their stars because of a contract dispute between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board.

A bowler of searing pace and high accuracy Lawson was earlier reported for a suspect bowling action two years ago when he set up a famous win for the West Indies at Antigua by taking seven wickets for 78. On that occasion West Indies chased the highest fourth innings total (417) and won.

Lawson was subsequently cleared after undergoing remedial action and he returned to Test cricket against lowly Bangladesh in June last year taking two for 126. He got through the unsuccessful England tour that followed without raising any suspicion over his action but a spinal stress fracture sidelined him and put him out of action from September. He marked his return to Test cricket at the SSC with a four-wicket haul in the Sri Lankan first innings (4 for 59) and followed it up with further wickets in the second (4 for 43).