Former Pakistan cricket captains Inzamam-ul-Haq and Saleem Malik have accused India's pacer Arshdeep Singh and the Indian team of manipulating the ball's condition during their T20 World Cup Super 9 match against Australia. Inzamam alleged that India may have tampered with the ball during the middle overs to aid Arshdeep in achieving a reverse swing early on. Both Inzamam and Malik criticised the umpires for not being vigilant enough, suggesting that certain teams, including India, receive favourable treatment.
"In the 15th over when Arshdeep Singh was bowling, we saw reverse swing. It's too early for a reverse swing with the new ball, indicating the ball was tampered with around the 12th or 13th over. The umpires need to be more alert," Inzamam remarked during a discussion on 24 News.
"There's a belief that umpires turn a blind eye to some teams, and India is one of them. I remember being fined for raising a similar issue during a match against Pakistan," added Malik.
Inzamam further implied that the reaction would have been different if Pakistani bowlers were involved in a similar situation, emphasising, "If this had happened with Pakistani bowlers, there would have been a lot of uproar."
Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh leads India in wickets taken during the ongoing tournament, claiming 15 wickets in six games after his performance of 3 for 37 against Australia. He credited Jasprit Bumrah for creating pressure on batsmen, which he capitalised on to secure wickets.
The allegations have sparked controversy, with cricket fans and analysts debating the integrity of the game and the role of umpires in maintaining fairness during international matches.