United States player Kyle Phillip has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect after the ICC’s Event Panel confirmed that the fast bowler uses an illegal bowling action.

The 26-year-old was reported by the match officials following his side’s ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier match against West Indies on Sunday 18 June 2023. The former Trinidadian took 3-56 in the USA's 39-run loss.

The Event Panel reviewed match footage of Phillip’s bowling action and concluded that he employs an illegal bowling action and as such, in accordance with Article 6.7 of the regulations, he is suspended from bowling in international cricket.

Phillip’s suspension shall remain in place until he submits to a reassessment of his bowling action which concludes that his bowling action is legal.

Half centuries from Johnson Charles, Shai Hope, Roston Chase and Jason Holder crucially helped the West Indies to 297 in 49.3 overs, which was good enough for a 39-run win against the USA in their opening match of the ICC World Cup qualifier at the Takashinga Sports Club in Harare on Sunday.

Gajanand Singh scored an unbeaten 101, his first in One Day Internationals as the USA, needing 298 for victory, closed on 258-7.

Singh, whose ton came from 109 deliveries and Nosthush Kenjige, who scored a quick-fire 34 not out from 32 balls shared in an unbroken 76-run eighth-wicket partnership that for a while made things uncomfortable for the two-time world champions.

Shayan Jahangir contributed 39 and Aaron Jones 23, but the USA were unable to get on top the West Indies bowling. Kyle Mayers was the best of the bowlers with 2-30 while Alzarri Joseph took 2-68. Akeal Hosein went wicket-less but his contribution was no less crucial as his 10 overs only yielded 38 runs.

The USA justified Captain Patel’s decision to field first when Saurabh Netravalkar had Brandon King caught by Gajanand Singh at midwicket for a duck and Kyle Phillip bowled Kyle Mayers for two to have the West Indies in early trouble at 14-2.

However, Hope and Charles led the recovery with a 115-run third-wicket partnership but both soon fell to injudicious shots. The partnership was broken when Hope was dismissed for 54 off a fullish delivery floated up outside off by Nosthush Kenjige, the Barbadian batter playing an uncontrolled one-handed backhand shot toward Shayan Jahangir mere metres inside the wide cover boundary.

 Five balls later, Charles was on his way back to the hutch for 66 after he skewed a Steven Taylor delivery off a thick edge to Saurabh Netravalkar inside the ring at backward point as the West Indies slipped from 129-2 to 137-4.

Nicholas Pooran and Roston Chase set about another repair job with a 55-run partnership but with the score at 192, Pooran skied Taylor to Jahangir on the sweeper boundary to be out for 43. With his very next delivery Taylor had Rovman Powell caught Gajanand Singh inside the long off boundary.

At 192-6, the West Indies were in danger of being bowled out for under 250 runs but were spared those blushes courtesy a 74-run seventh-wicket partnership between Chase and Jason Holder, who took the score to 266 when Chase lost his wicket to Netravalkar for 55.

Kyle Phillip dismissed Holder for 56 and Alzarri Joseph for three two balls later as the West Indies closed on 297.

Phillip took 3-56 while Netravalkar and Taylor each took 3-53 in a solid effort against their supposedly superior opponents.