South African spinner Aaron Phangiso will not be a part of the first two T20 games for the Proteas against Australia in the three-match T20 series, scheduled to start March 4. The left-arm orthodox spinner was suspended by the ICC Tuesday, after being found guilty of an illegal bowling action.
Phangsio, 32, is in the 15-member squad for South Africa for the ICC World T20 2016.
He has been handed the suspension from domestic cricket following some independent test results conducted by an ICC expert on his bowling action. According to the BBC, Phangsio extends his arm way beyond the 15-degree mark during a delivery and that is not permissible in cricket.
The bowler was reported for the suspected action on Feb. 25 when he was taking part in a South African domestic one-day game for Highveld Lions against Warriors at the Wanderers.
The Cricket South Africa (CSA) has now announced that the player's availability in the ICC World T20 in India is under huge doubt. "The timing of this issue for Aaron and for our World T20 squad is clearly inopportune but we need to deal with it," Haroon Lorgat, the CSA's chief executive was quoted as saying by Cricbuzz. "We will work hard to remedy Aaron's action and have him retested as soon as practically possible."
"We are fortunate to have an ICC accredited Laboratory in South Africa and this will certainly make a quick turnaround possible."
Phangsio will go through another round of tests on March 7, and if he doesn't come out successful, his participation in the ICC World T20 is almost over. Ironically, the CSA has time only until March 8 to rope in a replacement for the player ahead of the big Twenty20 event, starting later this month.
