Former Indian cricketer Praveen Kumar has made a bold claim. He accused Pakistani bowlers of tampering with the ball and said that they used to scrape the ball from one end and then bowl it.
Praveen Kumar’s comments during an interaction with TheLallantop. He was asked about rumors of ball tampering to make the ball reverse swing. The former fast bowler admitted that all bowlers used to manipulate the ball a little bit, but Pakistan bowlers used to do it more.
Praveen Kumar, however, is also aware that manipulating the ball for reverse swing is now almost impossible due to the cameras installed on the ground. While he was talking about the same, he explained:
“Everyone does a little bit; they (Pakistan bowlers) do it a bit more. That’s what I heard. Now there are cameras everywhere. Before everyone did it. And everyone knows it too.
“They would scratch it on one side, but you have to know how to use that skill too. If I scratch the ball and give it to someone, one must have the skills to do a reverse swing. You have to learn that.”
Pakistan’s pacers in previous eras used to be menacing. Players like Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis were arguably the best to have played the game. They mastered the art of the reverse swing and it is fair to say that it was their ball of choice and worried many of the game’s greats.
In the current generation there are hardly any players who use the reverse swing on the cue ball. One of the main reasons behind this is the two new balls that are now used in ODIs. Young players also do not know this art and there are a few players who can reverse the ball.
Praveen Kumar was notably one of the few bowlers who mastered the art of swing bowling. He upset many greats during his playing days and had the unique ability to move the ball both ways. He was also good at doing reverse movements with the ball.
Praveen Kumar escaped life-threatening accident
Former Indian fast bowler Praveen Kumar escaped a life-threatening accident along with his son. In July last year, he survived a car accident near his residence in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
A drunk truck driver collided with Praveen Kumar’s car and it could have been a serious accident, but the new condition of the car saved his son’s life and his own. There were no major concerns and the culprit was arrested.
Praveen Kumar represented India in 6 Tests and picked up 27 wickets at an average of 25.81. In the 68 ODIs, the fast bowler picked 77 wickets with an economy of just over 5. He also appeared in 10 T20Is for the team, picking 8 wickets.
Praveen Kumar is also an IPL veteran. The fast bowler played 119 matches in the league and picked 90 wickets. He has an economy of around 8 with a BBI of 7.73. He played for up to 5 teams in the league. The pacer represented Gujarat Lions, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
