Wednesday 22 October 2014 17:38, UK
The National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough University has been accredited as a testing centre for suspected illegal bowling actions.
The site is the fourth of its type to be designated by the world governing body, following Cardiff Metropolitan University, the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and Chennai's Sri Ramachandra University.
All ICC-accredited facilities are assessed against a range of criteria, including having an indoor area large enough to allow a player to bowl off his or her normal full run-up, a motion analysis system with a minimum of 12 high speed cameras and employing suitably qualified personnel.
Loughborough University's Dr Mark King will act as the lead specialist in cases taken to the NPC.
ECB acting chief executive Brian Havill, said: "We are absolutely delighted that the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough University has been accredited by the ICC as a testing centre for suspected illegal bowling actions.
"We are absolutely delighted that the National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough University has been accredited by the ICC as a testing centre for suspected illegal bowling actions."
"The ECB is committed to assisting the ICC in tackling the issue of illegal bowling actions in international cricket, and it is excellent news that the NCPC's facilities, equipment and expertise through Dr Mark King and Loughborough University can be utilised for this purpose."
The ICC have been stepping up their authority on illegal actions in the last two months with five international bowlers being suspended.
Prosper Utseya (Zimbabwe), Sohag Gazi (Bangladesh), Sachithra Senanayake (Sri Lanka), Kane Williamson (New Zealand) and Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan) have all felt the wrath of the ICC after their actions were examined.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced that Ajmal will have his action tested at Loughborough after a further two weeks working with former Test off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq.
Ajmal was suspended last month after it was deemed his bowling arm far exceeded the 15 degrees of tolerance permitted in the ICC regulations, and he will continue to work under Saqlain's supervision at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore over the next fortnight.
PCB cricket committee chairman Shakil Shaikh announced there has been a "significant improvement" in Ajmal's bowling action since he started corrective work at the NCA.
"The PCB has decided to extend Saeed Ajmal's remedial work under Saqlain by another 15 days," Shaikh said.
"After further remedial work in the next fortnight, Ajmal shall be sent over to a high-quality lab in England for testing to ascertain the exact degree of improvement in the ace off-spinner's action."
