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Xtra Time Web Desk: Pakistanis have the habit of crying over everything that goes against them, especially when it comes to India, and now former Pakistan captain and chief selector Inzamam-ul-Haq did the same but went a step ahead by accusing the Men in Blue of cheating in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Inzamam has stirred controversy by accusing the Indian cricket team of ball tampering during their last Super-8 game of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 match against Australia at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia.

His comments came after India's 24-run victory over Australia in the Super-8 thriller on June 24 to qualify for the semifinals of the tournament. The former 1992 ODI World Cup winner's accusations focus on the unexpected reverse swing generated by the left-arm pacer, Arshdeep Singh, in the Super-8 clash against Australia.

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Arshdeep returned for his second spell in the 16th over and managed to achieve a reverse swing, which is typically achieved with older balls. He raised eyebrows with his observations on the recent Super-8 match between India and Australia.

Inzamam pointed out that Arshdeep appeared to achieve a reverse swing unusually early in the match, raising doubts about how Indian bowlers achieved such a reverse swing with a ball that, in a T20 match, was relatively new in the match.

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam Ul Haq accuses Arshdeep Singh and Indian team of ball tampering against Australia. He wants ICC to open their eyes ????????????????????

Saleem Malik agrees to the point too. Is this true? pic.twitter.com/v6LWTciWgT

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) June 25, 2024

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The former Pakistan captain further went on to question whether the ball had been tampered with by the Men in Blue to facilitate a reverse swing. Inzamam suggested that the umpires need to be more alert, saying such things should not go unnoticed on the field during the crucial matches.

Inzamam-ul-Haq said “You can't ignore the fact that when Arshdeep Singh was bowling the 15th over, the ball was reverse-swinging. He was getting reverse swing. Isn't it too early for a relatively new ball to start reversing? Was the ball ready for reverse swing by the 12th or 13th over?

Because when he came to bowl, the ball started reversing. Umpires ko aankhein khuli rakhni chahiye (the umpires should keep their eyes open). We also know a bit about reverse swing, so if Arshdeep Singh is able to reverse swing the ball, some serious work was done on the ball.”

Inzamam pointed out that when it comes to reverse swing, bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, with his unique action, can naturally achieve reverse swing, and this is totally understandable. He mentioned that certain conditions, like a heavily used ball or the nature of the pitch, could influence the reverse swing, but the ball needs to be set up in a way that it reverses. At the end, Inzamam suggested that such situations should be closely monitored by the umpires to ensure fair play.

Notably, Arshdeep Singh emerged as India's standout bowler during their thrilling win over Australia in the Super-8 match, claiming figures of 3/37 in Saint Lucia. He struck early by dismissing David Warner in the opening over and later dismissing Matthew Wade and Tim David in the 18th over.