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Botha has been cited for a suspicious bowling action on numerous occasions

Former South Africa spinner Johan Botha has been ordered to undergo a biomechanical examination after he was cited for a suspicious bowling action during South Australia’s Ryobi Cup match against Victoria on October 4.

Botha is still allowed to play, but he will be banned if the official report proves that his bowling action is illegal.

“Under CA’s Doubtful Bowling Action Procedure, a bowler must undergo testing after a single mention for a suspected illegal bowling action in an interstate season,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. “CA’s policy requires cited bowlers to undergo testing within 14 days of being notified.”

The South Australia Cricket Association (SACA) have announced that they will be supporting Botha throughout the entire ordeal.

“We acknowledge that there is a process to be undertaken and the SACA will support Johan and work with him though this process,” Jamie Cox, the SACA director of cricket, said. “Johan will continue to lead our team in this week’s Ryobi one-day cup fixtures and will complete the biomechanical analysis within the 14 day timeframe given by Cricket Australia.”

Botha has been cited before as he was reported for having an illegal action after his debut Test in January 2006, upon where the International Cricket Council (ICC) subsequently banned him from bowling.

A re-examination in August that year found his action to be illegal once again and he was only cleared to bowl in November.

In 2009, following an ODI against Australia in Port Elizabeth, Botha’s action was cited once again and the ICC banned him from bowling doosras.

Victoria batsman, Cameron White, who faced Botha during the match on October 4, stated that he believed the former South African spinner had not bowled any doosras throughout his entire spell.

“That [the doosra] might have been one of his problem deliveries in the past,” White said. “But to be honest he didn’t bowl a doosra as such to me the other day when I was batting.”

Botha’s need to undergo a biomechanical test is a change in policy as, in the past, Cricket Australia needed three complaints against a bowler before he was subjected to undergo the examination.

“The question is being asked now about ‘do we develop the doosra bowlers or not’,” Australia national selector John Inverarity said last year. “That’s a question of integrity for Cricket Australia. I don’t think we do.

“I just think it’s a serious issue, and I think we’ve got to keep our integrity and teach our bowlers to bowl properly.”