Proteas bowling guru Piet Botha 'surprised' by action taken against spinner Prenelan Subrayen

Down Under in Australia, Proteas off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen found himself under the microscope following a report by match officials who questioned the legality of his bowling action.

The timing could not have been worse for the 30-year-old, as it came during his One Day International debut — a moment meant to be a personal milestone now tinged with scrutiny.

Subrayen is no stranger to such suspicion, having faced similar concerns earlier in his domestic career. However, this latest incident would have cut deeper, given the platform and stakes. Nearly two weeks after the report was submitted, Subrayen has undergone a formal biomechanical assessment at an ICC-accredited testing centre in Brisbane.

Proteas bowling coach Piet Botha, who accompanied him, shared some insight into the process and outcome.

“I went with him to Brisbane for the test, a two-hour test. I was fortunate enough to see how it works. Everything went well; it went smoothly,” Botha said. “He had to do no extra work, so to speak, and they’re happy with everything in the time frame.”

According to Botha, the preliminary feedback from the assessment was positive—no irregularities were picked up in Subrayen’s action. The findings have now been sent to the ICC for official evaluation, and a final verdict is expected within the next one to two weeks.

What remains unclear is what exactly triggered the umpires’ concern in the first place. Botha, who has worked closely with Subrayen, stated that nothing stood out during training sessions to warrant such a report.

“You wouldn’t pick up from a bowling coach’s point of view anything different with the naked eye, so it’s obviously something that flagged from the umpire’s point of view. It was something that was, let’s call it, a surprise to us.”

He added that while regular testing might make sense in theory to prevent future issues, the psychological toll on players cannot be ignored.

“I suppose it can work to have regular tests, but that’s something that needs to be discussed with the individual as well. I don’t think it’s a comfortable thing for the player to go through all the time. I think to put a guy through that stress all the time can’t be good.”

While Subrayen was grappling with an uncertain start to his international career, another South African spinner was grabbing headlines for all the right reasons.

Keshav Maharaj delivered a stellar performance in the ODI series against Australia, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in the opening match and walking away with the Player of the Series accolade. That would, however, be the end of his involvement on tour, as coach Shukri Conrad opted for spin-bowling all-rounders in the T20 leg of the series.

Maharaj’s omission from the shortest format did raise eyebrows, especially after his match-winning exploits. It also reopened the debate about the role of specialist spinners in T20 cricket. Botha weighed in, noting that while the modern game leans toward all-rounders for added batting depth, there is always room for quality.

“I think generally in T20 cricket you try and get your batting lineup as deep as possible so that your spinner who can bat can swing the willow at the end and get you some extra runs. But then also vice versa, your best spinner needs to come into consideration, and I think Keshav is certainly our best spinner at this stage.”

Botha went on to highlight that Maharaj’s batting ability is often underrated. “It’s not that he can’t swing the bat. Actually, in one of the games — can’t remember exactly which — he did very well with the bat, so much so that he batted ahead of Senuran Muthusamy the next game.”

He emphasised Maharaj’s value in conditions that assist spin, pointing to his 5/30 against Australia as proof that he can turn a game within a few overs.

With the Proteas now in the United Kingdom, preparations are underway for the first ODI against England, set to be played at Headingley in Leeds on Tuesday, September 2.

For Subrayen, the next few days will be about waiting for that all-important ICC ruling, while Maharaj will be eager to remind selectors that quality trumps versatility — especially when conditions are right.