Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed Wednesday said he was considering quitting the game after he became the first bowler to be banned from bowling for 12 months for an illegal action.
"I am heartbroken and once you are repeatedly embroiled in such a situation you are compelled to think about quitting," Ahmed told AFP.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) Monday banned Ahmed after tests on his questioned bowling action proved he exceeded the limit of 15 degrees allowed to bowlers.
In Test cricket's 130-year history there is only one previous example of a bowler quitting the game over his illegal bowling action.
Australian left-arm seam bowler Ian Meckiff was no-balled four times in one over in the first Test of their series against South Africa in 1963-64.
A disgusted Meckiff quit the game immediately.
The 29-year-old Shabbir Ahmed was reported for a second time this year during the first Test against England at Multan last month.
The ICC has been facing tough times in dealing bowlers with illegal actions as they allowed Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan and Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar to continue bowling after Australian biomechanic experts said they had deformities in their bowling arms.
The ICC introduced a new process for dealing with bowlers with suspect actions in March this year, allowing bowlers to straighten their arms by 15 degrees, which is visible to the naked eye.
Shabbir was reported for the fist time under the new rules in May this year.
The subsequent tests proved he transgressed the limits for which he was banned in July this year.
However, tests by Australian experts cleared him in October, but he was reported again for his suspect action at Multan.
He took six wickets at Multan to take his tally to 51 in 10 Tests and revealed he was thinking of quitting the game before the Multan Test, but was convinced to resume by captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Ahmed has 14 days to appeal against the ban and would meet Pakistan Cricket Board officials to decide about the appeal on Thursday.
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