Kuhnemann's action to be tested despite thumb injury

Matthew Kuhnemann will proceed with imminent tests on his bowling action, despite a thumb injury ruling him out of Tasmania's Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia.

One week after being cited by ICC officials for having a suspect action, Kuhnemann was expected to return to cricket for Tasmania in Adelaide on Tuesday. But those plans have since been scuppered, with the spinner not medically cleared to play for Tasmania after the dislocated thumb he suffered in the BBL.

AAP understands Kuhnemann has not suffered a fresh injury, and the decision is a precautionary one after he played through the issue in Galle.

Despite sitting out the Adelaide match, Kuhnemann will be required to complete ICC testing in the next fortnight because the injury is not on his bowling (left) hand. Officials have remained tight-lipped on the details surrounding Kuhnemann's test for the sake of his privacy, but it is expected to go ahead in the next fortnight.

The biomechanical testing will also be able to be completed at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane, despite the ICC preferring players head overseas for assessment.

Kuhnemann will complete the tests under the watchful eye of ICC body experts, with markers on his arm and several cameras filming. He will need to bowl at a similar speed and with similar ball revolutions to what he did in Sri Lanka, where he took 16 wickets at an average of 17.18.

The ICC will then take a matter of weeks to determine if Kuhnemann's action is legal, or if his arm straightens by more than the allowable 15 degrees. The 28-year-old is believed to be in reasonably good spirits, with questions still circling about the timing of him being reported after eight years in professional cricket.

"All we can do as a group is throw our support behind him," Tasmania captain Jordan Silk said. "He has obviously had a fantastic couple of weeks away with the Aussie side, and was a big factor in them wining that series over there.

"It's come as a shock to a lot of people, but all we can do as an organisation is wrap our arms around him and look forward to having him back around the group."

Silk echoed the words of stand-in Australia captain Steve Smith, believing Kuhnemann would be cleared by the tests.

ICC rules allow bowlers to play domestic cricket while under the microscope, but ban them from international matches. If Kuhnemann is cleared he will be able to continue bowling, but if he fails the test he will be banned until he can prove he has changed his action to meet guidelines.

"He's still a quality bowler for us and someone we expect to have an impact later in the year," Silk said. "We're really confident that process will go smoothly and we can welcome him back to our change-rooms and have him be a big part of our season."

A win for Tasmania against table-topping South Australia would keep them in the race for a spot in the Shield final, with one win separating second and sixth on the ladder.

Beyond this summer, Kuhnemann would be a strong chance to be in Australia's squad for the tour of West Indies in June, if his action is cleared.