Has he just realised after one year that the English players were involved in ball tampering or do these morons take turns in creating problems for Pakistan cricket in general.
Cook rubbishes Gul’s charge against Anderson, Broad
Published: October 04, 2011
LONDON (Agencies) - England’s one-day international captain Alastair Cook on Monday rubbished Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul’s charge that fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad indulged in ball-tampering.
Gul had claimed that Anderson tampered with the ball during Pakistan’s tour of England last year and Broad did it too in the Ashes series in Australia. Cook, before leaving with the team for the ODI series in India, asserted that Anderson and Broad have not tampered with the ball.
“We certainly have not tampered with the ball and if he did have any complaints, he should have gone to the ICC (International Cricket Council) over that,” Cook was quoted as saying by the daily Telegraph.
“I think he (Gul) has almost said himself that it has been a bit of a mountain out of a molehill.” Gul had said: “During our series against England last year I saw Anderson was doing it (ball tampering). Against Australia, when they (England) won the Ashes, everyone saw Broad use his shoe to scratch the ball.”
Meanwhile, England captain Alastair Cook on Monday said it will be “incredibly tough” to beat India in their own backyard but feels his players have the ability to do the job.
An injury-ravaged India were hammered by England in both the Test and the one-day series but Cook says it is different ball game when India play on home soil. “I certainly think we can beat India. It will be incredibly tough. We need everyone to be playing very well,” Cook told reporters at the Heathrow Airport, ahead of his side’s departure for India.
The five-match series will begin in Hyderabad on October 14. England will also play a one-off Twenty20 against India on October 29. Cook said India would enjoy the crowd support but his players have it in them to down India.
“We all know what the one-day crowds are like over there. They love their cricket. Delivering our skills when 50,000 or 60,000 people are screaming and when balls are flying all over the place will also be a key factor, but certainly with this squad I think we can do something really special,” he said.
England will be without pace duo of James Anderson, who has been rested, and Stuart Broad,