Lee's action cleared by ICC panel

The bowling action of Australian paceman Brett Lee has been cleared of any suspicion by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

In a major boost for Australian cricket ahead of the upcoming one-day international series against South Africa in Melbourne, Lee was given word of the decision early this morning. This followed his participation in an extensive discussion of the matter with members of the ICC's illegal deliveries panel in an international telephone hook-up on early Tuesday evening Australian time.

Announcing the result at a media conference in Melbourne, Australian Cricket Board (ACB) Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed indicated that the teleconference had lasted for just over an hour and that a number of aspects of Lee's action had been considered during that period. The panel of former international cricketers, headed by former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar, had also earlier analysed slow motion video footage of the right arm fast bowler's action.

"The panel determined Lee did not have a problem with his bowling action,", said Speed. The speedster himself had earlier admitted to being "very happy" with the way in which the hook-up had proceeded.

The decision means that Lee is not compelled to undergo the remedial coaching work that had been foreshadowed when news of doubts about his delivery motion first surfaced last month. This, in turn, had followed the respective decisions of Umpires Srinivas Venkatraghavan and Arani Jayaprakash to refer his action to Match Referee, Mike Denness, after the First and Third Tests of Australia's series with New Zealand in March and April of this year.