10 Controversies that hogged the spotlight in 2015

West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine was suspended from international cricket after his action was found ‘illegal’ by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Narine’s action was reported in November during the third ODI against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.

Sri Lanka off-spinner Tharindu Kaushal also faced the heat, after he was reported with a suspected illegal bowling action during the third Test against India this year.

Pakistan faced a huge blow after offspinner Saeed Ajmal was banned from bowling in international cricket by the ICC after his action was deemed to be illegal for all deliveries. Ajmal, who has been Pakistan’s lead spinner in all formats in recent years, was reported after the first Test against Sri Lanka in Galle this year.

Kane Williamson, the part-time New Zealand offspinner, has been suspended from bowling in international cricket after his action was found to be illegal. Williamson was reported for a suspect action following the second Test against West Indies in Trinidad in June and was sent for biomechanical testing at Cardiff Metropolitan University. That testing has shown that Williamson’s elbow extension when bowling exceeds the 15 degrees allowable under the ICC rules.

Apart from the above-mentioned names, Shikhar Dhawan (India) and Mohammad Hafeez (Pakistan) were also banned from bowling, following illegal bowling action.