West Indies Cricket World Cup chances suffered a major blow with mystery spinner Sunil Narine withdrawing from the squad for the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.
According to a release from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) yesterday, Narine "requires more time to be able to confidently bowl for a sustained period in international cricket with his new action".
While the Trinidadian mystery spinner has not been under any cloud of official sanction from the International Cricket Council, his action was deemed on two occasions during the Indian Champions League T20 tournament last September to be illegal.
It was ruled to be in violation of the 15-degree allowance of straightening of the bowling arm and he was banned from appearing for his franchise, the Kolkata Knight Riders, in the final.
Narine declined an offer from the WICB to assist with remedial work to his action and pursued the corrective process on his own.
His first competitive foray since the ICL experience was the Nagico Super50 regional 50-over tournament in Trinidad and Tobago which concluded on Sunday.
The slow bowler returned astonishing figures of six for nine off eight overs to ensure a comprehensive victory for the hosts over Guyana in the final at the Queen's Park Oval.
He was also the most successful bowler in the tournament with 12 wickets.
