Ace United States of America (USA) paceman Kyle Philips has been suspended from bowling with immediate effect. Kyle Philips was a part of the national contingent that is currently featuring at the ICC World Cup 2023 Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Kyle Philips’s (26) bowling action was a controversial topic in USA’s inaugural fixture against West Indies. The Caribbean batsmen reported the match officials with suspicious action after the USA was crushed by the mighty West Indies in their first match. Notably, Philips managed to grab 3 wickets for 26 runs in the game.
Kyle Philips suspension is a major blow to the struggling USA camp as half of the squad is hit by flu. The majority of the prominent players are unwell due to the outbreak of disease and are currently under treatment due to convalescing.
Kyle Philips continued to play against Nepal despite suspicion
Interestingly, Kyle Philips went on to play in USA’s second ODI against Nepal. This was because the event panel had not met and discussed the reported bowling action of Philips before the fixture against Nepal. The panel then met and barred Philips from bowling in any further official game.
The ICC panel deemed Kyle Philips bowling action to be illegal in accordance with Article 6.7 of the regulations. Philips suspension from bowling in International cricket stood active with immediate effect and will stay intact until his action is reviewed by ICC’s expert panel or approved at an official ICC Testing centre.
Kyle Philips has now received a major setback as he won’t be able to feature in any further ICC Qualifiers fixtures. His suspension has also raised doubts over his participation in the inaugural edition of Major League Cricket (MLC) that is slated to start on 13th July. Philips was MI New York’s eighth domestic drafted player and was picked for a whopping USD 100,000.
