Tampering the English

The 1992 reverse swing series was a controversial one as the Pakistani teams were accused of ball-tampering, particularly by the English media.

The 1992 reverse swing series was a controversial one as the Pakistani teams were accused of ball-tampering, particularly by the English media. Imran Khan stirred a hornet’s nest in 1994 when he confessed to ball-tampering in his playing days and about being surprised that the British tabloid journalists ‘only discovered’ ball-tampering during the 1992 home series. To make matters worse, Imran’s class-conscious remark during that issue set off another controversy. He said that University-educated men supported his views on ball-tampering, and those like Freddie Trueman, Allan Lamb and Ian Botham were unable to take a rational view. He was sued for libel, but was cleared by the court.

Talking to The Indian Express at the Idea Exchange programme, Imran Khan shed light on the issue.

“It was never an issue in cricket. I have watched English bowlers, Australian bowlers, walking back on television, openly picking the seam. The commentators wouldn’t comment, nobody would even care. Wasim, Waqar started destroying England with the old ball, and ball tampering becomes an issue, and reverse swing is considered cheating,” he said.

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Taking a dig at England cricketers Imran said, whatever they did not understand was termed cheating. But now the same experts boasted about a pace attack that won them the Ashes (in 2005) and the weapon of Aussie destruction was reverse swing.

“English cricketers won the Ashes (in 2005) by reverse swing. If you just look back at when Wasim and Waqar were swinging the ball and when the English pace bowlers were reverse swinging the ball, you will find it was exactly at the same stage of the match, around the 50-over mark. So how come when they were doing everything, it was an art form, a skill, and when Wasim and Waqar were doing the same, it was cheating? I’m glad this thing has come to the forefront,” he added.