“All Used To Do It” - Praveen Kumar Accuses Pakistan Bowlers Of Ball-Tampering

Former Indian cricketer Praveen Kumar has made a bold claim. He accused Pakistani bowlers of ball-tampering and said that they used to scratch the ball from one end and then bowl.

Praveen Kumar’s comments during an interaction with TheLallantop. He was asked about the rumors of ball-tampering enforced to make the ball reverse swing. The former fast bowler admitted that every bowler used to tamper the ball a bit but Pakistan bowlers used to do it more.

Praveen Kumar, however, also is aware that now tampering with the ball for reverse swing is next to impossible because of the cameras around the ground. While talking about the same, he explained:

“Everyone does a little bit; they (Pakistan bowlers) do it a bit more. That’s what I’ve heard. Now, there are cameras everywhere. Earlier, all used to do it. And everyone knows as well.

“They would scratch it from one side, but one must know how to use that skill, too. If I scratch the ball and give it to someone, one must have the skills to reverse-swing it. One has to learn that.”

Pakistan pacers in the earlier times used to be threatening. The likes of Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, and Waqar Younis were arguably the best to have played the game. They mastered the art of reverse swing and it’s fair to say that it was their go-to ball and troubled a lot of greats of the game.

In the current generation, there are hardly any bowlers who use reverse swing in white-ball. One of the prime reasons behind this is the two new balls that are now being used in the ODIs. The young bowlers too don’t know the art of it and there are one few pacers who can reverse the ball.

Praveen Kumar notably was one of the few bowlers who mastered the art of swing bowling. He troubled many greats during his playing days and had the unique ability to move the ball both ways. He also was good at reverse swinging the ball.

Praveen Kumar escaped a 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 crash near his residence in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

A drunk truck driver crashed with Praveen Kumar’s car and it could’ve been a serious accident but the new condition of the car saved the lives of his son and himself. There were no major concerns and the culprit was arrested

Praveen Kumar represented India in 6 Tests and picked 27 wickets at an average of 25.81. In the 68 ODIs, the fast bowler picked 77 wickets at an economy of just over 5. He also featured in 10 T20Is for the team, picking 8 wickets.

Praveen Kumar also is a veteran of the IPL. The fast bowler played 119 games in the league and picked 90 wickets. He has an economy of around 8 with a BBI of 7.73. He played for as many as 5 teams in the league. The pacer represented Gujarat Lions, Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Sunrisers Hyderabad.