Ahead of India's T20 World Cup semifinal clash with England scheduled for Thursday, Indian captain Rohit Sharma addressed the ball-tampering allegations made by former Pakistan cricketer Inzamam ul Haq against left-arm bowler Arshdeep Singh. Inzamam had questioned Arshdeep's integrity after observing the reverse swing achieved by the Indian bowler in the 15th over during the Super Eights match against Australia, which India won by 24 runs while defending a total of 205. This victory secured India's spot in the semifinals, while Australia's campaign ended due to Afghanistan's win over Bangladesh. Inzamam, during a TV program in Pakistan, expressed skepticism about Arshdeep's ability to reverse swing a semi-new ball, suggesting that if Pakistani bowlers were involved, there would be a significant uproar. He commented, 'If Pakistan bowlers did this, there would have been hue and cry. We know how to reverse it really well. If Arshdeep can reverse it in the 15th over, there's been some serious work done on the ball.' He further added, 'If Bumrah does it (you can understand), his action is like that. When others with a specific action or speed do it, it means the ball has been prepared in a special way.' Rohit Sharma, in the pre-match press conference in Guyana, responded to these claims, stating, 'If you are playing in such warm conditions and the wickets are this dry, the ball will reverse on its own. The ball is reversing for all teams. Not just for us. You know sometimes, it's important to use your brain. You have to understand where we are playing. Matches are not taking place in England or Australia. We are playing on dry wickets in the West Indies in warm conditions. So it's natural to get reverse swing. Not just India, every team is getting reverse swing.' India is set to face England in the second semifinal today at 6:30 pm UAE Time, with the winner advancing to the final against South Africa, who defeated Afghanistan in the first semifinal by nine wickets.
Text: Lara Palmer
27.06.2024
Indian Captain Defends Arshdeep Singh Amid Controversy Ahead of T20 World Cup Semifinal