ICC approves Pakistan Cricket Board-run biomechanics lab in Lahore for the first time

After the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, Loughborough University, Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai and the University of Pretoria, it is now the turn of the Pakistan Cricket Board run biomechanics lab to get accreditation. The ICC accredited the biomechanics lab as a testing centre for players with suspected bowling actions. The lab was completed during the tenure of Shaharyar Khan as Chairman of the PCB in 2015-16 after the number of Pakistani players were reported for illegal bowling actions. These included off-spinner Saeed Ajmal, allrounder Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik while in the past fast bowlers Shoaib Akhtar, Shabbir Ahmed and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi have also been reported for their actions. Since Ajmal was reported in 2014, other bowlers have also faced problems at the domestic level including off-spinner Bilal Asif.

The lab, set up in the Lahore University of Management Sciences institution, was assisted by the ICC in establishing the lab by providing a full set of testing equipment and software as it did with the other accredited centres. The facility at LUMS passed through a range of criteria that included a motion analysis system with a minimum of 12 high-speed cameras capable of producing three-dimensional data.

"I want to congratulate the Pakistan Cricket Board, which worked in conjunction with Lums to fulfil the criteria required for an ICC accredited testing centre," ICC general manager Geoff Allardice said.

PCB Managing Director Wasim Khan said: "The accreditation of the biomechanics lab at LUMS is a significant development and it is a step in the right direction in line with PCB’s aim of equipping the board with modern and world-class facilities. The facility will help us identify and rectify faulty bowling actions at an early stage. In the past, we didn’t have a testing centre and a number of Pakistan bowlers were called both at the domestic and international level and then had to undergo remodelling of their action, often at a stage where it was tough for them to regain their effectiveness.

Recently, Indian cricket team bowler Ambati Rayudu was reported for a suspect bowling action during the game and he will have to undergo testing. In a statement released by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the match official’s report, which was handed to the Indian team management, cited concerns over the legality of his action during the Sydney ODI against Australia in January 2019.

Lahore is the second Asian city to have a biomechanics lab accredited by the ICC, with the first being Chennai's Sri Ramachandra University.

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HIGHLIGHTS

• Lahore and Chennai are the two Asian cities to have biomechanics lab accredited by ICC.
• Brisbane, Pretoria and Loughborough are the other cities with ICC accredited biomechanics lab.
• The Lahore lab was completed during the tenure of Shahryar Khan.