Sussex fast bowler James Kirtley was last night officially reported for a suspect bowling action.

Kirtley has been scrutinised for the past week during England's one-day series against Zimbabwe.

Now match referee Colonel Naushad Ali has decided to officially report his action to the International Cricket Council.

Under ICC procedures the matter is now referred to the England and Wales Cricket Board, who will work with Sussex and Kirtley when he returns from the tour next week before submitting a report to the ICC for their approval.

Kirtley is allowed to continue bowling during that period and could still be selected for the one-day series against India and New Zealand in February.

But if he is reported in international matches twice during the next year he would receive an automatic 12-month suspension.

A year ago Kirtley was cleared to continue his domestic career by the ECB after his action was reported on England A's tour of New Zealand in 1999.

Sussex conducted exhaustive scientific tests to prove that the quirk in Kirtley's bowling action was caused by a hyper-extended elbow.

Sussex coach Peter Moores believes Kirtley will be cleared again and be able to continue his England career.

Moores said: "When James gets back I expect the ECB will get together with the club and myself and we will form a plan which will get his name cleared.

"I don't believe we will have to change his action at all. You can't argue with the scientific evidence which proved beyond doubt that his elbow joint doesn't bend during delivery.

"The main thing is that the results of any investigation are communicated quickly and a thorough job is done for James's sake. There is an opportunity now before the one-day series in India to get the thing cleared up once and for all."

In recent years Sri Lankan off-spinner Mutiah Muralitharan, Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Australian Brett Lee have all been reported to the ICC, but subsequently had their actions cleared.

Kirtley has played in three of the four one-day games against Zimbabwe, taking three wickets.

When Colonel Ali expressed his doubts for the first time last week, the team management were quick to defend Kirtley and it's likely he will be chosen for the final match of the series in Bulawayo tomorrow.

Moores added: "They came out in support last week which is good to see and I think they will base their selection for the India and New Zealand tour entirely on how James has performed, which is how it should be. He has done really well out there and must have impressed Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher."

Kirtley has been told not to speak to the media, but Moores talked to him yesterday and says the county's vice-captain is in good spirits.

Moores added: "Obviously he's disappointed that he has been reported, but James has seen all the footage from the videos we took last year which is why he is confident that the whole thing will be cleared up once and for all."