The World Cup match between England and Pakistan at Tent Bridge on Monday was marred by small controversy as both the team seemed to use strange tactics to make the old ball swing. The fielders of both the teams were deliberately sending the ball back to the wicket-keeper on more than one bounce, a thing that umpires took note of.
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In fact, they also had a chat with the fielders around, which made Man of the Match also going up to the umpire and handing him the ball straightaway during the match once.
“It’s their job and they were doing their job. A couple of incidents for both sides where the throw didn’t come in one bounce, but on two or three bounces. We got a warning after 20 overs that if we threw in on two bounces, we would get a penalty, so I made a point of running in to hand them the ball. You don’t want to have to do it but they were just doing their job and they did it right,” Hafeez said after the match.
The tactics were used to roughen one side of the ball which can help bowlers to swing the old ball – an art known as reverse swing. Applying saliva on the ball is the only legal way to make the ball reverse swing but on occasions, the teams have used unfair means to make the ball talk.
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Last year, three members of Australian cricket team viz Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were banned by Cricket Australia for ball-tampering during third Test match of the series against South Africa. Bancroft was rubbing one side of the ball with the sandpaper to make it rough, that would have helped the Australian pacers.
Rubbing the ball alongside the zip of pants, applying face ice cream, chewy gum are few other ways to make the ball reverse swing. Throwing the ball on more than one bounce during the World Cup match was another method to make the ball reverse swing as it made one side of the ball rough.
Meanwhile, Pakistan stunned England in their second match of the tournament. The Men in Green posted a total of 348/8 after being asked to bat first. England did not have a great start but they kept themselves in the fray with Jos Buttler and Joe Root scoring centuries.
Pakistan’s death over brilliance saw them defend the total and in the end, they defeated the tournament favourites. Both England and Pakistan have played two games in the tournament so far and have won one of their two matches.