"Apply your mind," Rohit Sharma said, laughing off Inzamam-ul-Haq's claims of tampering with the ball.
T20 World Cup 2024: In an interview with the media on the day of India's semi-final matchup with England, Rohit Sharma dismissed claims made by former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq of ball-tampering by Indian bowlers.
Ankush Pandey
INTRO
- Arshdeep Singh was charged with ball-tampering by Inzamam-ul-Haq against Australia.
- The former cricket player should use his head, as Rohit Sharma refuted the accusation.
- In the T20 World Cup semifinal on Thursday, India plays England.
When speaking to the media on the day of India's T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final matchup against England, India captain Rohit Sharma refuted claims of ball-tampering against the country's fast bowlers. Before making unfounded accusations, Rohit Sharma advised the critics to "apply your mind" and comprehend the circumstances.
Allegations by Inzamam-ul-Haq, a former captain of Pakistan, that Arshdeep Singh had tampered with the ball during their match against Australia in the T20 World Cup Super 8 stage, Rohit Sharma made his statement.
"What response shall I offer? The ball will reverse itself if you are playing in the sun and the wickets are this dry. Every team is reversing the ball. not only for ourselves. At times, it's critical to keep an open mind and apply logic. You need to comprehend the context of our game. Australia and England are not destinations for us," Rohit Sharma declared.
The left-arm bowler Arshdeep Singh, who gave Australia a 24-run victory in St. Lucia by using the old ball with a reverse swing, was the target of accusations that the captain of India was unable to accept. After using the new ball to remove David Warner, Arshdeep came back to use the old ball to give the Australians even more grief. To stop Australia from chasing 206, he took a key wicket off of Tim David, who was very threatening, and wicketkeeper Matthew Wade.
WHAT INZAMAM-UL-HAQ SAID
Speaking on live television, Inzamam-ul-Haq made an odd assertion, asking referees to watch out for instances of ball tampering during India's T20 World Cup matches.
"Arshdeep Singh bowled the 15 over, but the ball was reversing. Is using the new ball too early for a reverse swing? By the 12th or 13th over, the ball was prepared for a reverse swing, according to this. Umpires ought to be vigilant about identifying these situations.
"Reverse swinging the ball by Pakistani bowlers would have been a serious problem. We are quite skilled at reverse swing, so if Arshdeep can start reversing the ball in the 15 over, it indicates that significant preparation work has been done beforehand, Inzamam stated.
Salim Malik, a former batter for Pakistan who was also on the panel, supported Inzamam's assertion and charged the Indian fast bowlers with manipulating the ball.
Indian players have been the target of strange and unfounded accusations made by former Pakistani players before. Former cricket player Hasan Raza stated that India outperformed other fast-bowling teams in the 2023 World Cup by using chips within the ball. Mohammed Shami, whose match-winning bursts made him unstoppable, was the target of the accusation.
In response to Hasan Raza's assertions, Shami expressed surprise at the lack of knowledge about the game.
Does this ball contain a gadget? (laughs and turns to face the ball.). I thought, "How can someone ask such a stupid question?" when I heard this. Even now, when I consider that assertion, I can't help but laugh," Shami said to Aajtak.
Wasim Akram, a former Pakistani bowler, confronted Raza and shut down the absurd remarks. The procedure for choosing a ball in an international match was described by Akram. Shami made the same observation and stated that it was shocking that several international players were disseminating misleading information.
