‘This Type Of Cartoongiri Is Not Good’: Mohammed Shami Hits Back At Inzamam-Ul-Haq’s Claims Of Ball Tampering By Arshdeep Singh

During the T20 World Cup 2024, former Pakistan captain Inzamam ul Haq made a surprising claim against Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh, indirectly accusing him of ball-tampering. Referring to Arshdeep’s performance against Australia, Inzamam said, “Arshdeep Singh, when he was bowling the 15th over, the ball was reversing. Is it too early (for reverse swing) with the new ball? This means the ball was ready for reverse swing by the 12th or the 13th over. Umpires should keep their eyes open (to spot) these things. If it was Pakistani bowlers (reverse swinging the ball), this would have been a big issue. We know reverse swing very well, and if Arshdeep can come in the 15th over and start reversing the ball, it means some serious work had been done before.”

India’s star bowler Mohammed Shami, the top wicket-taker at the ODI World Cup 2023, responded strongly to these allegations. Shami himself had faced similar accusations during the 2023 World Cup when former Pakistan player Hasan Raza claimed that India was using different types of balls with a device implanted to help Shami get extra swing.

“I have said in an interview that I will cut the ball and show if there is a device or not. Now, they have come up with another example. They said, ‘How can Arshdeep Singh get reverse swing?’ I want to say only one thing to Inzamam bhai. I respect him a lot. If you do the same thing, isn’t it ball-tampering? Those who perform well against them become their target. India and Pakistan are arch-rivals,” Shami said on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube channel.

“I don’t expect such statements from ex-players. Even Wasim Akram explained how umpires provide the ball, making it impossible to plant any device in it. Such baseless claims are meant to mislead people.”

Shami, who has returned to bowling in the nets after being out of action since the ODI World Cup due to an ankle injury, also revealed his close friends within the Indian cricket team during the conversation. “Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma are my best friends. They are the ones who call and check on me when I am injured and in recovery,” Shami shared.