Australia ball-tampering scandal: Pakistan pace legends defend reverse swing, call it 'art' and not cheating

Pakistan’s masters of reverse-swinging a cricket ball have unanimously defended it as an “art” which can be achieved without the tampering that ended in shameful bans for three Australian players. In Pakistan, an internet meme swept social media appearing to show legendary pacemen Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis smiling over the incident — with a caption that accused the Australians of being “amateurs” in their efforts to create reverse swing. “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.” Sarfraz took 177 wickets in 55 Tests, including an amazing nine for 86 against Australia at Melbourne in 1979 that included a spell of seven wickets for a mere one run in 33 balls. ‘It was and will remain an art’ “When I passed the art to Imran Khan he developed it and then taught Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and in those times everyone called it cheating but when the Englishmen started to reverse swing it became an art,” said Sarfraz. “Reverse swing is totally opposite.” Sarfraz passed the art to Imran, who achieved more success than his master but also confessed to ball-tampering by using a bottle top to roughen one side of the ball.