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Channel 4 pictures: Waqar denies ball tampering
Nick Hoult
Pakistan have denied their captain Waqar Younis tampered with the ball during his side’s series-levelling win at Old Trafford.
Channel 4 cameras picked up Waqar appearing to gouge the ball with his fingernails shortly before lunch on the final day when England were making a promising start to their target of 370 for victory.
Michael Atherton and Marcus Trescothick put on 146 for the first wicket but England collapsed in the afternoon session and were dismissed for 261 as Pakistan raced through the lower order for the second time in the match.
Waqar was able to generate reverse swing in the afternoon session with the old ball, and pictures shown by Channel 4 on Monday night’s highlights programme Today at the Test could spell trouble for the Pakistan captain.
“Nobody spoke to me about the ball,” Waqar said. “There was nothing wrong with the ball and there was no tampering going on.”
Waqar’s denial was backed up by Pakistan manager Yawar Saeed , who said: “If there had been any ball tempering I would have known about it. There was nothing wrong; we have won the match well and people should be happy with that.”
Channel 4 commentator Mark Nicholas was heard to say, “The match referee would be interested if he saw that,” when Waqar was spotted scraping the ball with his nails.
On Pakistan’s tour of England in 1992 there were several allegations of ball tampering levelled at Waqar and the Pakistan attack which soured relations between the two sides.
4 Jun, 2001
A Stranger But Not