Exclusive: Tipped for Success, Prenelan Subrayen Now in Limbo as CSA Defends Local Umpires

Prenelan Subrayen was tipped last week to become South Africa's premier off-spinner, but instead he has flown back from Australia this week with his career under a cloud due to him having been reported for a suspect bowling action.

The 31-year-old, who has been a dominant figure in domestic cricket for the KwaZulu-Natal Dolphins, made his Test debut in a second-string Proteas side, in Zimbabwe in July, but it was his selection for his ODI debut against Australia in Cairns on August 19 that pointed to his bright future.

Subrayen produced a tidy performance, taking the opening wicket as he deceived Travis Head and had him stumped, to stop a fiery Australian start and clear the way for left-arm spinner and provincial team-mate Keshav Maharaj to take five for 33 and bowl South Africa to victory.

But after the game, the match officials reported Subrayen for a suspect bowling action, deeming 12 of his 60 deliveries to possibly be illegal.

Subrayen underwent testing in Brisbane on Tuesday and South Africa's director of cricket Enoch Nkwe is hopeful that he can resume his international career, and said the fact he was 'called' in just his second international match does not imply that local umpires have been remiss in not policing his action domestically, where he has been reported four times previously.

Tail-end of 2012

In the tail-end of 2012, Subrayen was first sent for rehabilitation work on his action. 

He was reported again in September 2014 playing for the Dolphins in the Champions League tournament in India, and once again in November 2015 during a local T20 game. In January 2016 he failed another assessment of his action, but since March 2016, he has had no problems with the umpires.

"Prenelan went to the West Indies with the SA A team and then the Test in Zimbabwe earlier this year, he has played overseas and not been reported there. So it's unfair to look at our domestic umpires. He's been exposed to international umpires and match referees before and there have been no negative reports. He's also been on TV a lot," Nkwe told SportsBoom.co.za in an exclusive interview. 

"There's always a lot at stake when South Africa play Australia, and maybe that's why the officials started to suspect something. Next week we will hopefully get the results from Brisbane and if it's not a good report, then we will look at everything else. If it's a positive report then we move on."

Inspired victories

Despite having inspired many victories for the Dolphins, it would be something of a miracle if Subrayen did not feel extremely nervous having been brought on to bowl inside the power play with Australia 50 without loss after five overs. But Nkwe said it was difficult to say whether Subrayen's action had somehow changed under pressure.

"The magnitude of the game was very different to anything else he has played and the state of the game when he bowled, we need to take it all into consideration. But it's tough to answer whether it was pressure that changed his action. He has dealt with different pressures all through his career."

"We need to look at the human element, especially at that level and playing in Australia. We want to protect him, and CSA and the team management have offered him our support in any way. Although Prenelan has not dealt with this issue at this level before, he is a flippen tough character, a tough nut," Nkwe said.