South Africa’s off-spinning all-rounder Prenelan Subrayen has again been reported for a suspect action, only hours after making his ODI debut against Australia in Cairns. The match officials’ report landed on CSA’s desk on Wednesday morning, meaning the 31-year-old now has a fortnight to book an independent assessment at an ICC-accredited laboratory. Until those results are in he is, under the regulations, free to bowl.
Subrayen returned 1 for 46 from his ten overs on Tuesday, his wicket the important one of Travis Head, and South Africa went on to win by 98 runs. “He did exactly the job we asked of him,” interim head coach Shukri Conrad said afterwards. “Clearly there’s something the umpires have picked up; we’ll respect that and follow the process.”
The process is not new to Subrayen. Back in December 2012 CSA ordered remedial work after two independent tests deemed his action illegal. He was cleared a month later, but further concerns cropped up during the 2014 Champions League T20 and again in domestic cricket in 2015. On that latter occasion every delivery was judged to exceed the permitted 15-degree elbow extension, triggering a suspension. He eventually satisfied the assessors at CSA’s High Performance Centre in March 2016 and has bowled ever since without official complaint—until now.
Vincent Barnes, CSA’s long-time bowling lead, admitted the repeated interventions are “frustrating for everyone”, yet emphasised the bigger picture. “The laws are the same for all of us. If Prenelan has slipped into bad habits, we’ll iron them out. If the lab says he’s legal, great, move on.”
For viewers who don’t live and breathe the biomechanics, the ICC allows a 15-degree bend-and-straighten of the bowling arm because anything under that is almost impossible to see with the naked eye. Go past the limit and it’s officially a throw, not a bowl, and you invite a report just like this one.
The immediate fixture list gives South Africa little room to breathe. Two more ODIs—both in Mackay on 22 and 24 August—complete the white-ball leg of the tour. Subrayen remains available, though Conrad hinted the selectors may look at “all options” rather than risk further distraction.
No statement has come from Subrayen himself; a team spokesperson said he would “let the assessment speak for him”. Australia’s captain Pat Cummins kept his counsel too, merely noting, “The system’s there for a reason.”
In other words, the ball is now with the scientists. If they clear him, Subrayen’s late-blooming international career carries on. If not, it is back to the High Performance nets once more—hardly ideal at 31, but hardly the end either.
