New Zealand captain Kane Williamson is raring to get to the bowling crease in a pressure situation after the International Cricket Council (ICC) cleared his remodeled action.
Part-time off-spinner Williamson became the first New Zealand bowler to be banned after he was reported for a suspect action by the umpires in the second Test against West Indies in Trinidad in June.
Biomechanical tests in July confirmed that his bowling arm wasn't straight enough, but Williamson was cleared after subsequent tests by human movement specialists at the ICC-accredited centre at Chennai's Sri Ramachandra University last month, Stuff.co.nz reported.
Williamson underwent testing on November 23, between the second and third Tests against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates, and proved his bowling action was within the permitted 15 degrees of flexion.
The ICC confirmed Williamson was cleared in a release, which means that the skipper can bowl himself in the second ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah on Friday.
Failing the test would have seen Williamson banned for a year. Now the skipper becomes a viable bowling option and would add to the all-round strength of the New Zealand team for the World Cup the country co-hosts with Australia in February and March.
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A delighted Williamson joked that as the stand-in captain for the absent Brendon McCullum in the ODI series against Pakistan, he might get to open the bowling. He said that it's a good feeling to be cleared, there's been a lot of work put in to correct the action so it's nice to pass the test.
Williamson said that he is not sure just yet when he would bowl in a match, adding that the guys are doing a very good job with the ball. But he believes that it's important that he gets some opportunities in matches to put pressure on it.
Williamson has bowled in 34 tests and has 24 wickets at an average of 40.66 while in his 54 ODIs he has taken 23 wickets at 30.91. In T20 he has taken three wickets at 37.00, the report added.