Karachi, February 02: Madness and Shahid Afridi are usually inseparable, but could it be that the now-banned Pakistan skipper’s byte is worse than his bite?
Adding a new chapter to the team’s long tryst with the volatile ball-tampering issue, Afridi in what is arguably the daftest act ever on a cricket field was repeatedly caught on camera biting the red cherry during the final ODI against Australia in Perth.
Banned for two T20 games for the offence, under article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, it seemed the maverick all-rounder would return somewhat chastised.
Instead, Afridi no prizes for guessing why he is called ‘akhrot (walnut)’ by his teammates tried to justify the action in an interview to a Pakistani TV channel, leading some eminent former players to demand that he should be hauled up for bringing the game into disrepute.
Surprisingly, Afridi came up with a ridiculous defence that he was trying to “smell the ball”, and even said: “There is no team in the world that doesn’t tamper with the ball. My methods were wrong.”
Bowlers ‘preparing’ the ball is an occurrence nearly as old as the game but this last comment has sparked outrage, with former Indian captain and spinner Bishan Singh Bedi who had accused John Lever of using vaseline in the first big ball-tampering saga told, “There is new controversy because of Afridi’s frustrations and poor quality of leadership. To say that ‘I tampered with the ball because others have been doing it’ is a reckless, unnecessary comment to make.
“Even (Pak) coach (Intikhab) Alam is furious. It’s totally undesirable and unbecoming of a top-class professional cricketer. Afridi should be questioned for being so silly and immature. Cricket doesn’t deserve such foolishness. Anybody who makes such harmful statements is no good to the game.”
Former ICC panel umpire SK Bansal, who has seen first-hand the means top players resort to in order to make the ball swing, seemed bemused by the incident. “If you say others have been doing this, it means you are also a habitual offender, you have got used to this,” he said, “Afridi left the match referee no choice. What he has said is also very damaging but Afridi doesn’t realise it.”
Under Law 42.3, players are not allowed to gain unfair advantage by rubbing the ball on the ground, interfering with its seam or surface, or using any implement that can alter the ball’s condition. “Only spit and sweat are seen as okay,” Bansal said, “But umpires periodically check whether overt attempts have been made to make one side of the ball heavier to make it swing more.”
Yet, there’s a school of thought which feels ‘preparing’ the ball should be legalised. Aussie great Ian Chapell has said tampering is a response to batsman-friendly laws, and Kiwi pace ace Richard Hadlee, way back in 1995, shocked everyone by suggesting it was time to legalise ball-tampering. “I’m dead serious,” Hadlee had said, “There have been subtle ways over the years of mucking about with the ball.”
The latest to join the bandwagon was South Africa’s Allan Donald last year: “The ICC would shoot me for saying it but with the wickets that we play on and the dying breed fast bowlers are becoming… I would say we need some defence mechanism.”
Bedi, however, disagrees. “It’s a batsman’s game, admit it and move on. Bowlers have known that for years. If you legalise tampering then you will need to legalise chucking as well. Where do you stop once you start?”
Bansal too says: “It is not possible. The ICC cannot do it because the game has a certain structure it operates on. Bats have become high-tech but they are not being tampered with. There are laws for bats too.”
Funnily enough, Donald, when asked what he would absolutely not do if tampering laws were made less restrictive, had said: “Well, I wouldn’t bite it!”
Maybe the ICC should put the same question to Afridi.
-Agencies