Former Pakistan skipper Inzamam ul Haq has accused Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh of ball-tampering, questioning how he managed to reverse-swing the ball during the 16th over in the ICC T20 World Cup Super Eights match against Australia, where Arshdeep delivered a match-winning spell of 3/37. Inzamam raised doubts about the early onset of reverse swing, suggesting that umpires should be vigilant. Arshdeep is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 15 wickets in six matches, averaging 11.86 and maintaining an economy rate of 7.41. His best performance was 4/9, tying him with Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi for the most wickets. Inzamam's remarks were made during a talk show on a Pakistani news channel, which has since gone viral on social media. He was joined by his former teammate Salim Malik, who accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of turning a blind eye to certain teams, specifically mentioning India. Malik recounted a past incident involving Wasim Akram in Zimbabwe, where he was penalized for complaining about a wet ball. Inzamam further alleged that if Pakistani bowlers had achieved similar reverse swing, it would have caused a significant uproar, implying that substantial alterations were made to the ball during the India-Australia game. India's total of 205/5, bolstered by Rohit's 92, was enough to restrict Australia to 181/7, despite Travis Head's aggressive 76. Following Australia's elimination after a loss to Afghanistan, India is set to face England in the semifinals in Guyana on Thursday.
Text: Lara Palmer
26.06.2024
Former Pakistan Captain Questions Early Reverse Swing by Indian Pacer in Key Match Against Australia