Akila Dananjaya cleared to bowl in international cricket

The ICC had banned Akila Dhananjaya from bowling in international cricket after his action was found to be illegal on two separate occasions within the space of a year. Even though the ICC suspension period ended in August 2020, the Sri Lankan spinner had to undergo a test where he had to prove that his remodelled action complied with the maximum limit of 15 degrees of elbow flexion.

Since a tour of an ICC-accredited biomechanics lab was not possible in the middle of a global pandemic, Dananjaya was cleared by a panel that observed the footage of his new action. The spinner bowled in the recently-concluded Lanka Premier League, but avoided his stock off-spin, bowling only leg-spin and googly.

Before his ban from international cricket, Dananjaya was Sri Lanka’s leading spinner in limited-overs international and became a regular fixture in the Test side as well. With left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya and leg spinner Wanindu Hasaranga now the first picks, Dhananjaya will now have to compete with them for a spot or join the force against England.