Lack of technology challenge for Utseya

Harare Bureau

SUSPENDED Zimbabwe Cricket off spinner Prosper Utseya says his biggest challenge in making sure he gets in line with the International Cricket Council recommended bowl action is that the technology is not available in Zimbabwe.

The former Zimbabwe cricket captain was on Wednesday suspended from bowling in international cricket after an independent analysis found that his action was illegal following a report on the third ODI against South Africa in August.

“But my main challenge is that here in Zimbabwe we do not have the machines or the system that is used to analyse the bowl action and so it is also difficult on my part to know if I am really on track without this machine.

“It’s an expensive system and only three countries have this facility in the world so during my meeting with the ZC officials, I asked if they could facilitate for me to go to India for part of my recovery lessons and pre-testing,” said Utseya.

But this, according to Utseya, would not stand in his way as he would like to be part of the Zimbabwe side for the 2015 cricket World Cup to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand as a bowler.

“I will try to work hard on my action so that I get back on the field as a bowler and that is what I have to do if I am to come back. But no doubt it is going to be tough on me to break away from that action because that is how I have been doing it over the last years.

“It’s like telling someone who has been using his right hand for writing all his life to start using their left hand for the same task, it’s not easy and it would take time, patience and requires a lot of hard work.

“I do not want to rush it but I need to make progress slowly because I also want to go and play at the ICC (World Cup) next year.

“We are yet to map out my training schedule in regards to the bowl action recovery programme but all that will depend on team selection, my making it for Bangladesh would determine when I am going to start and if I make it then my bowling would have to suffer a little bit.”

With Zimbabwe expected to tour Bangladesh this month, Utseya believes he can make it for the Sub-continent and is not counting himself out of the Chevrons tour yet.