Prosper Utseya: Zimbabwe star's off-spin banned, but seam legal

Utseya has played in four Tests, 160 one-day internationals and 29 Twenty20 internationals

Zimbabwe bowler Prosper Utseya has been permitted to resume bowling by the International Cricket Council - but will not be allowed to bowl off-spin.

The 29-year-old was reported to the ICC for a suspected illegal action in August, and was suspended from bowling in October after his action was tested.

After remedial work, a re-test has now ruled that his range of slow-medium deliveries fall within the permitted 15 degrees of arm extension.

However, his off-spin remains banned.

An ICC statement read: "Umpires are still at liberty to report Utseya in the future if they believe he is displaying a suspect action and not reproducing the legal action that was analysed during the re-test.

"To assist in comparing the action used in the lab to the action used in upcoming matches, umpires have been provided with images and video footage of Utseya's remodelled legal bowling action."

Utseya has played in 160 one-day internationals, including 68 during a spell as captain between 2006 and 2010

Nine off-spinners, including Utseya's Zimbabwe team-mate Malcolm Waller, have been reported to the ICC for illegal actions in the last 13 months, along with Bangladesh seamer Al-Amin Hossain, who was cleared following tests.

Utseya and Waller were both recently named in Zimbabwe's provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup, which must be reduced to 15 players by 7 January.

Zimbabwe do not currently have any full internationals scheduled until the World Cup, which begins in Australia and New Zealand on 14 February.