July 20th 2024.
New Delhi: Indian pace bowler Mohammed Shami has come to the defense of his fellow teammate, Arshdeep Singh, amidst criticism from former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq. Inzamam had questioned Arshdeep's ability to generate reverse swing during the T20 World Cup 2024.
After India's Super 8 match against Australia, where Arshdeep played a crucial role in the team's 24-run victory by taking three key wickets, Inzamam expressed skepticism over his reverse swing. Shami, known for his expertise in reverse swing, dismissed these claims during an interview on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel.
Shami, who was named Player of the Match for his explosive batting in the same game, gave credit to Arshdeep for his impressive spell, which included the dismissals of David Warner, Tim David, and Matthew Wade. He stated that Inzamam's doubts about Arshdeep achieving reverse swing as early as the 14th or 15th over were unfounded.
During the interview, Shami also criticized Inzamam's allegations and defended the integrity of his teammate and the sport. He expressed his respect for Inzamam, but pointed out that his statements were baseless and could mislead the public.
Shami went on to say that he was willing to demonstrate his skills in cutting the ball and prove that there was no device involved. He also addressed the issue of ball-tampering, stating that targeting players who perform well against a certain team is not justified. As arch-rivals, India and Pakistan often face such accusations.
Shami further urged former cricketers to refrain from making such accusations without evidence and misleading the public. He also supported the statement made by legendary Pakistani bowler Wasim Akram, who had previously dismissed the possibility of tampering with the ball to achieve reverse swing. Shami emphasized that umpires strictly regulate the condition of the ball, making it impossible to tamper with it.
Arshdeep Singh was one of India's top performers in the T20 World Cup, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets from eight matches at an economy rate of 7.61. He also had a notable four-wicket haul against the United States. Shami concluded by praising Arshdeep's contributions to the team's success and hoping that such unfounded accusations would not affect his morale in the future.
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