Former Pakistan cricketer Hasan Raza came under fire for suggesting that an investigation should be conducted into the balls used by the Indian cricket team after their dominant win over Sri Lanka in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Speaking on a Pakistani news channel, Raza said that the way the ICC or umpires are giving the balls to Team India should be under inspection. He made this remark after India registered a mammoth 302-run victory against Sri Lanka.
“We are not able to understand batsmen playing against other teams but whenever India begins their bowling, bowlers like Shami and Siraj look like when we used to play Allan Donald and Makhaya Ntini in South Africa. There used to be a shine on the ball on one side and there it used to seam and swing, but here I think even the ball is getting changed in second innings. The way ICC is giving these balls, or maybe the third umpire or BCCI is giving…I think these balls should be inspected,” Hasan Raza said.
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Raza’s comments were met with disbelief from many, including former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra. Chopra took to Twitter to ask whether the show on which Raza made his comments was a serious cricket show, and whether Raza was raising the question seriously.
“Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. I mean…it might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it,” Aakash Chopra tweeted.
“Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. I mean…it might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it,” Aakash Chopra tweeted.
Is it a serious cricket show? If not, please mention ‘satire’ ‘comedy’ in English somewhere. I mean…it might be written in Urdu already but unfortunately, I can’t read/understand it. 🙏🏽 https://t.co/BXnmCpgbXy
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) November 3, 2023
Raza’s comments are particularly surprising given that the Indian team has been one of the most successful teams in the world in recent years. They have won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013, the ICC World Cup in 2011, and the ICC T20 World Cup in 2007.
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It is also worth noting that the ICC has strict rules in place regarding the balls used in international cricket matches. The balls are inspected by the umpires before the match begins, and they are also replaced regularly during the match. It is therefore highly unlikely that the Indian team is using any illegal or unfair means to gain an advantage. Raza’s comments are therefore baseless and should be dismissed.
