EXCLUSIVE: Vincent Barnes sympathises with Subrayen amid reported suspect action

FOLLOWING Prenelan Subrayen's reported suspect bowling action, Proteas bowling coach Vincent Barnes sympathised with the spinner as he was reported in his One Day International debut.

Barnes knows this process well, having overlooked the process when former Proteas men's bowlers Johan Botha and Aaron Phangiso found themselves in Subrayen's shoes.

The 65-year-old understands that players can take a hit mentally when in such a situation purely because of the reach such a case can have, as it happened in front of the whole world.

Barnes told Independent Newspapers that there is no place to hide in international cricket and that worrying about the legality of your action is the last thing any bowler would want at the highest level.

"In international cricket, there's no place to hide. You're on the international stage, the whole world is watching. The last thing that you as a bowler want to worry about is the legality of your action," said Barnes.

"You need to contain a batter or get him out, and you're going to try whatever is possible to get him out. The last thing you're worried about is 'what my action looks like'.

"Unfortunately, when you've been cited a couple of times and there's a stigma attached, it's quite easy for people to just make comments about it.

"He hasn't been found guilty of anything. It's a suspected illegal bowling action. It still has to be assessed by an independent panel and an independent assessment, and then determine whether it's legal or not."

Barnes added that Subrayen will have to deal with the mental side of it that comes with the situation.

The 65-year-old urged Subrayen and everyone in his corner to get the assessment done as soon as possible so that the 31-year-old spinner could continue with his flourishing career.

"You've got to deal with the mental side of it, which is a massive factor that we've got to consider because the first thing you think is my career's over. These are all the negative thoughts that just go through your mind when something like this happens," said Barnes.

"All you want to do is get this assessment done as soon as possible. They are possibly going to do it and will stay behind and do this assessment in Australia.

"We were on tour when it happened with Johan (Botha), and the two of us stayed behind and had the assessment done in Perth. Then you take it from there, whatever the results are.

"Subrayen, he's been there before. He has failed the test, recovered, remodelled his action, did the test again and flew through it comfortably.

"So it's not the end of the world for him. You just have to deal with it now. There are so many bowlers that have been tested, and they are found to be okay, and their careers carry on.

"It's not going to take rocket science to get him right. He knows his own body and bowling, and that's the fortunate part, in that he's quite an experienced bowler, not a youngster.

"He's now got to deal with all the negativity around this. It's so sad because you're also very far away from home, and he just needs the Proteas boys now, and I know they will be doing that."