‘Pakistan Bowlers Did it a Bit More’: Praveen Kumar's Shocking Claim on Practice of Ball Tampering in Past

Former Indian pacer Praveen Kumar has recently made some bold claims about ball tampering, highlighting the involvement of Pakistani bowlers. Ball tampering is recognised as one of the darkest sides of cricket. Players, who were previously found guilty of the offence, had to face strict consequences. The Australian duo– Steve Smith and David Warner were banned for 12 months after they were spotted tampering with the ball during the 2018 tour of South Africa. However, according to Kumar, this practice was quite normal during his playing days as it would help in generating reverse swings on dry surfaces.

During an interaction with The Lallantop, Praveen Kumar said, “Everyone does a little bit. But, Pakistan bowlers did it a bit more. They would scratch it from one side, but one must know how to use that skill, too. If I scratch the ball and give it to someone, one must have the skills to reverse-swing it. One has to learn that.”

Former captain Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and several Pakistani bowlers made their name with their exceptional ability to swing the ball both ways. With the introduction of two new balls, it is now quite difficult for the new-generation fast-bowlers to generate reverse swings during the death overs.

As far as Praveen Kumar’s career is concerned, the right-arm pacer endured enough turbulence due to frequent injury issues. Before bidding adieu to cricket in 2018, Kumar represented India in 68 ODIs and 6 Tests, fetching 77 and 27 wickets respectively. Courtesy of some remarkable performances between 2008 and 2010, Kumar was called up for the 2011 ODI World Cup. However, he missed the tournament due to an injury, with S Sreesanth replacing him in the squad.

Kumar and his son met with a horrific road accident in June last year as their car was hit by a truck. They were returning home from Pandav Nagar and the mishap took place in Meerut. As both were severely injured, local people took the father-son duo to the nearby hospital. They also immediately informed the police, who managed to arrest the alleged truck driver.