Former India spinner Murali Kartik said the ban on Sunil Narine's offbreaks was a setback and added rushing him back into bowling could be detrimental to Narine and his team Kolkata Knight Riders.

"It is already hurting him [Narine] in terms of physical and emotional pain because just to be called or to be put on the suspect [actions] list is a big thing," Kartik told ESPNcricinfo. "You can see it is hurting. He is not the Narine we have known because his economy rate has gone up and his wicket-taking ability has gone down."

Narine's economy rate in five matches this season is 7.35, a noticeable increase from the 5.77 he has managed across three previous seasons. In those five matches, Narine has gone wicketless thrice. In 47 previous IPL matches, he had gone wicketless in only 13 matches.

"He needs to have very strong people around him," Kartik said. "People who need to give him the belief that by changing and remodelling his action he can comeback. And secondly he needs to given a bit of time because it is a scar - not just a mental scar but a scar on your record.

"If he is going to be questioned again it is a lots of mental stress for both the team management as well as the player. Are you trying to tell me that if there is no Sunil Narine, there is no team? Unless they feel his other deliveries are going to be as effective and play him."

Kartik said it would be impossible for Narine to refrain from bowling his stock delivery. "You are so used to doing it. (But now that) He has been reported for his offspinner because they have spotted some flex when he bowls it."

Kartik felt the greatest challenge for a bowler asked to remodel his action was to suddenly stop doing something that has been ingrained in them since they started learning his art. He pointed out Saeed Ajmal's struggles in the on-going Bangladesh series, where the once dangerous Pakistan off spinner was dealt with easily by the opponents. "To unlearn and re-learn something and be as effective as before it does not happen. I have not seen anyone doing that at least in the short term."