Suspended spinner Shillingford cleared for return

Suspended off-spinner Shane Shillingford has been cleared to return to international cricket, the West Indies Cricket Board said on Saturday.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) ruled in December that Shillingford's bowling action was "illegal" and suspended him until his action was modified.

"The ICC formally notified the WICB of the clearance following a biomechanical bowling analysis which was conducted at the University of Western Australia on May 25th last by a research team headed by Prof. Bruce Elliott," the WICB said in a statement.

Shillingford underwent five months of intense remedial work at the Sagicor High Performance Centre in Barbados and in his native Dominica, the board added.

"It was evident that Mr Shillingford, under the guidance of the WICB coaching staff has undergone significant remediation work on his technique," the research team reported.

Shillingford's action had been reported following the West Indies v Sri Lanka test in Galle, Sri Lanka, last November.

"I am extremely happy that I have been cleared to continue playing international cricket," Shillingford said. "It has been what I always wanted to do and having to overcome this hurdle has made me stronger and more determined to succeed."