Match referee discusses ball tampering pictures with Pakistan team

Charlie Austin

June 29, 2000

On the second day of the Kandy test match the ball tampering issue has yet again reared its ugly head. During the course of the lunch interval television pictures clearly showed Waqar Younis scratching the ball and trying to lift the quarter seam.

Attention was first drawn to the issue on the first day of this final test when observers claimed that they had seen Pakistan players tampering with the ball just before it started reverse swing in the evening. Today the television camera's focused in on Waqar Younis and with the assistance of the special zoom lens look to have caught Waqar in the act.

The matter has been brought to the attention of the match referee for this match, John Reid, and he has discussed the matter with the Pakistan management. A formal statement is expected at the end of the match but Waqar is expected to receive only a warning.

Later in the day the umpires in this match, Steve Bucknor and Peter Manuel, started checking the state of ball at more regular intervals and even inspected it during the course of a Wasim Akram over.

Even if the Pakistan players had been tampering with the ball it didn't help the Pakistan bowlers, who had another hard days toil in the field and have only claimed five wickets so far, three of which have been claimed by the off spinner.

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