Shahid Afridi was banned for one Test and two ODIs on pitch-tampering charges after he admitted to damage the wicket in a Test against England in 2005. Former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi was widely regarded as one of the most explosive batters during his prime years in international cricket.
Shahid Afridi held the record for the fastest century in ODIs for over 17 years when he smashed a 37-ball hundred against Sri Lanka in 1996. He also emerged as a lethal spinner for the side, ending his international career with 395 ODI wickets to his name, and 98 dismissals in T20Is.
Shahid Afridi Took Advantage Of A Gas Cylinder Explosion To Damage The Pitch With The Boots In 2005 England Test In Faislabad
However, Shahid Afridi’s career also saw a fair share of controversies. In 2005, the former Pakistan captain was banned for one Test and two ODIs on pitch-tampering charges.
Shahid Afridi had damaged the pitch with his boots during a game against England in Faislabad, and over 17 years later, the former all-rounder revisited the controversy, revealing the incidents that led to him damaging the pitch.
“It was a good series. That Test was in Faislabad. Believe me, it was a Test and the ball was neither turning, nor it was getting any swing or seam. It was getting quite boring. I was applying my full force and nothing was happening. Then suddenly, a gas cylinder exploded and eveyone got distracted.”
However, the allrounder Shahid Afridi’s career wasn’t just about hitting big sixes, peeling off lightning fast centuries or bamboozling batters with his legspin. Shahid Afridi also hit the headlines for breaking the law as he tampered with the ball and the pitch on two different occasions in his efforts to give his team an unfair advantage over their opponents.
Shahid Afridi Recalls Conversation With Shoaib Malik Before Damaging The Pitch
Shahid Afridi revealed that he took advantage of a gas cylinder explosion to damage the pitch, and also recalled a conversation with Pakistan star Shoaib Malik before eventually tampering with the wicket.
“I told Malik, ‘I want to create a patch on this pitch so badly. I want the ball to turn!,” Afridi said.
“Shoaib Malik replied, ‘Do it, no one is watching. So I did that! And then, what happened is history. When I look back at it, you do realize it was a mistake,” Afridi further said, as he passed a chuckle.
Shahid Afridi represented Pakistan in 27 Tests, 398 ODIs, and 99 T20Is. Shoaib Malik, meanwhile, continues to remain an active cricketer but is currently out-of-favour with the Pakistan side, having last made an international appearance in a T20I against Bangladesh in November 2021.
Shoaib Malik’s last T20I was in November 2021 against Bangladesh in Mirpur. He has played 35 Tests, 287 ODIs, and 124 T20Is, amassing over 10,000 runs in all three formats combined, averaging above 30 in each format. Besides his 2435 T20I runs, he has taken 24 T20I scalps.
Years later, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi would give the world a famous photograph where he was seen biting the cricket ball during a T20I against England, resulting in a two-match ban. He was found guilty of “changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket”.