Thaindian News

Melbourne, Feb 3 (ANI): Australian paceman Shaun Tait suspects that ball tampering is prevalent in world cricket, although he has never seen it.

Tait’s Redbacks teammate Shahid Afridi was banned for two Twenty20 matches, after television cameras caught him attempting to bite the seam of the ball at the beginning of the 46th over of Australia’s innings at the WACA on Sunday night.

“It probably goes on, but I have never seen it with my own eyes. I am sure there could be players that do it, but not that I have seen. I have never engaged in biting the ball,” Tait said.

Former Australian opener Mark Waugh said Afridi’s two-game penalty from ICC match referee Ranjan Madugalle was too light. “He has to have a good look at his behaviour,” The Herald Sun quoted Waugh, as saying.

Australian legend Allan Border and former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq also joined the debate by condemning Afridi’s ball-biting penalty as too lenient.

“It wasn’t enough, given that he’s been a bit of a serial offender in front of ICC disciplinary committees. You’ve got to send a strong message out that you just don’t want this sort of stuff happening on field,” Border said on Inside Cricket.

Inzamam, whose team was accused of ball-tampering in the 2006 Oval Test against England, said the punishment did not fit the crime.

“The match referee Ranjan Madugalle has been kind to Afridi, giving him just a two-match ban or Afridi could have been in bigger trouble. What Afridi did was unacceptable and more worrying is the fact that he was captain … he didn’t do any service to Pakistan cricket with his actions,” Inzamam said.

Afridi, who has flown home, may face more trouble with the International Cricket Council investigating his claim that all international teams are involved in ball-tampering.

Former Test wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist said it was up to the players to stamp out ball tampering, and believed any players who are caught should face lengthy bans. (ANI)