Ball-tampering Saga: Reverse swing is an art, reckons Pakistan legends

Past few days haven’t transpired well in the world of cricket much due to the Ball tampering saga that has been in the limelight for all the bad reasons. It was a case of pre-meditated cheating as the Australians succumbed to unfair means to alter the condition of the ball to get the reverse swing going. However, when many reckon this as to be a ‘cheat’, former Pakistan legends believe ‘Revere Swing’ is an art that can be achieved sans tampering the ball.

Former Pakistan fast bowler, Sarfraz Nawaz, a pioneer of reverse swing bowling reckons this as a art that many have failed to achieve. Coming from a land of fast bowlers, Nawaz was one of the founding father of the art that was passed on to the generations to follow with the likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younus.

Ridiculous to say reverse swing is cheating

Sweeping aside all the talks that term reverse swing as ‘cheating’, Sarfraz mentioned, “This is ridiculous to say reverse swing is cheating”. In his view, this had been the case even when many from Pakistan knew this art but it became only appropriate when the English bowlers started to develop this ability to reverse the ball. “In those times everyone called it cheating but when the Englishmen started to reverse swing it became an art,” she said.

To support his view, he even explained about how to reverse swing is different from the conventional swing as the former is a proven scientific phenomenon that takes place due to imbalance created on both the sides of the ball. “There is a conventional swing which is done with the new ball and then there is reverse swing which is achieved with an old ball and it has been proved in laboratories that reverse swing is a scientific phenomenon, ” he was quoted as saying by DNA.

Aussies deserved punishment

The former fast bowler who took 177 wickets in just 55 matches, was in full support of the punishments handed over to the Australians for cheating with the game. He feels that making the old ball swing can be done even without restoring to such unfair means to alter the condition of the ball. Though, “It was and will remain an art, but resorting to tampering is cheating and that was what Australians did to beat South Africa and were deservedly punished, “he concluded.