Australian left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann has been cleared to continue bowling after his action was called into question following his impressive tour of Sri Lanka. Despite being momentarily stunned by the scrutiny, Kuhnemann remained confident throughout the process and is now focused on securing a spot in the Test squad for the upcoming tour of the West Indies.
Kuhnemann, who topped the wickets tally with 16 in Australia’s 2-0 series win in Sri Lanka, admitted he was surprised when his action was questioned. “I’ve played over 100 professional games and never got questioned, so that’s why I was always confident that I’d be fine,” he said ahead of Tasmania’s final Sheffield Shield game against New South Wales.
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The testing process proved to be straightforward for the 28-year-old spinner, who described it as simply “going in there and bowling 20-30 balls (surrounded by) lots of cameras and sensors.” He emphasised that he never doubted the legality of his action, saying, “I’ve bowled millions of balls during my career, and there was no doubt whatsoever.”
Despite his confidence, Kuhnemann was forced to sit out Tasmania’s round-eight loss to South Australia while awaiting the test results. Although he remained eligible to play domestically, the waiting period provided a rare opportunity to rest and recover from the rigorous workload in Sri Lanka, where he bowled 92.3 overs in just two weeks.
“It’s pretty rare to get a break in the middle of the season,” he said, grateful for the unexpected respite. “I gave a chance for my body to recover. It was like a mini pre-season in the middle of the season, so it was quite nice to have a couple weeks off.”
The break also allowed Kuhnemann to fully heal a fractured right thumb sustained during the Sri Lanka series.
With the all-clear from the testing process, Kuhnemann now has his sights set on another potential Test assignment against the West Indies later this year. Acknowledging the spin-friendly nature of Caribbean pitches, he expressed his eagerness to be part of the touring squad.
“I’ve personally never been to the West Indies, but I’ve heard it has taken some spin in the last few years, so if the opportunity comes, I’d love to go over there and play a role in that squad,” he said.
Having navigated both the thumb injury and the scrutiny of his bowling action within a short span, Kuhnemann feels more resilient and determined to continue proving his worth. “Before the incident and after, I’ve never been more confident in my ability as a cricketer than I am at the moment,” he concluded, ready to take on whatever challenges lie ahead.
