Chuckers can be rehabilitated: Kumble

Legendary Indian legspinner Anil Kumble believes it is possible for bowlers under scrutiny for suspect actions can quickly return to competition after remedial work.

The 44-year-old spinner is the head of the ICC's Cricket Committee, which in June this year recommended stringent measures against bowlers with suspect actions.

That resulted in the suspension of high profile bowlers such as Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal, Sri Lanka's Sachithra Senanayake, Zimbabwe's Prosper Utseya, New Zealand's Kane Williamson and Bangladesh's Sohag Gazi.

Those suspended are required to undergo remedial work before another assessment to get clearance.

Bangladesh's paceman Al-Amin Hossain was also reported but on Wednesday was cleared after a bio-mechanical analysis.

An ICC statement said Al-Amin's action underwent testing at the Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai and revealed that the amount of elbow extension in his action was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC regulations.

Kumble, who took 619 Test and 337 one-day wickets, said necessary corrective measures can help.

"I am really positive that bowlers who have been reported will make those necessary corrections and will be back," Kumble, who is in Dubai for the ICC awards shortlist, told reporters on Wednesday.

"It is just a matter of time before you see them back in action. Once that happens I don't think they will even discuss anything to do with the angles."

Kumble said he himself suffered the problem at an early age.

"When I started as a 13-year old as a fast bowler I was told to stop by my senior colleagues because they felt that I was bending my arm as a fast bowler," recalls Kumble, who besides England's Jim Laker was the only bowler to take all ten wickets in a Test innings.

"There was no television, no video then so they said you should not be bowling that way because that came natural to me so immediately I changed to bowling leg-spin."

Kumble stressed suspect bowling actions should be spotted and corrected at an early age.

"It is important that we encourage bowlers at an early age because once you have a kink in the arm for various reasons it is very difficult to correct it as you go along, so you want to ensure that people with good clean actions are coming through from the bottom of the pyramid and hence it is important that it gets addressed," said Kumble.

Kumble said controversial 'doosra' delivery (one which turns the other way than a normal off-break) can be bowled within the allowed limits of 15 degree elbow extension.

"Nobody has said bowling doosra is illegal it is the action that is all we are saying. So I don't think we should allow any change in rules," he said.

Suspect actions in the news since June

3 June: Sri Lanka off-spinner Sachithra Senanayake is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

22 June: New Zealand off-spinner Kane Williamson is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

28 June: The ICC Cricket Committee meets in Melbourne and recommends an increased focus on bowlers with questionable actions.

12 July: Senanayake is banned from bowling by the ICC after undergoing official testing in Cardiff.

23 July: Williamson is banned from bowling by the ICC after undergoing official testing in Cardiff.

11 August: Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

15 August: The ICC confirms three newly accredited testing centres will be unveiled in the coming months.

22 August: Zimbabwe off-spinner Prosper Utseya is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

25 August: Bangladesh off-spinner Sohag Gazi is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

25 August: Ajmal begins official testing at Cricket Australia's National Cricket Centre in Brisbane.

9 September: Ajmal banned with immediate effect by ICC. Pakistan Cricket Board say they will weigh up their options, while Ajmal says a medical condition is to blame and he remains confident of playing in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.

10 September: Bangladesh fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain is reported for a suspected illegal bowling action and ordered to undergo testing within 21 days.

13 September: PCB release details of ICC report that show Ajmal was found to be straightening arm nearly three times the legal limit.

26 September: PCB suspend 16 domestic cricketers with suspect bowling actions.

28 September: Oppo CLT20 match officials report Lahore Lions captain Mohammad Hafeez and Dolphins bowler Prenelan Subrayan for suspect bowling actions.

30 September: Oppo CLT20 match officials report Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Sunil Narine for a suspected illegal bowling action

2 October: Sunil Narine is reported for a second time and disqualified from bowling in the Oppo CLT20 final

6 October: Suryakumar Yadav becomes the fifth bowler called at the Oppo Champions League T20 

8 October: Bangladesh’s Sohag Gazi and Zimbabwe’s Prosper Utseya banned from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect

5 November: Bangladesh fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain is cleared of a suspected illegal bowling action by the ICC