Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi: “I shouldn’t have resorted to ball-tampering or roughing up the pitch, but at the time, I did it in an attempt to win”
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Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has admitted he “shouldn’t have resorted to ball-tampering” in order to try and help his country win a match.
Afridi was talking about the infamous incident where he caught biting the cricket ball during an ODI between Australia and Pakistan at the WACA in Perth in 2010.
He was subsequently banned for two T20Is after conceding that he tampered with the condition of the ball.
Looking back on it, the 44-year-old deeply regretted his actions as it was a moment that stuck with him throughout his career.
“I shouldn’t have resorted to ball-tampering or roughing up the pitch, but at the time, I did it in an attempt to win,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
The Pakistan team recently toured Australia for a white-ball series and won the ODIs 2-1 before being thrashed 3-0 in the T20Is.
After this, the men in green went to Zimbabwe and triumphed 2-1 in both the ODI and T20I series.
Pakistan are now taking on South Africa and lost the T20I series 2-0 before bouncing back to claim a 3-0 win in the ODIs.
Next up will be the two-Test series, which starts on December 26 in Centurion.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha