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The Pakistan cricket team coach Bob Woolmer has responded to his side’s alleged ball-tampering during The Oval Test by suggesting the laws of cricket are unfairly balanced in favour of batsmen.

Woolmer feels bowlers should be allowed to do anything they like to manipulate the ball using natural implements such as fingernails. “I think the ball should swing, and it doesn’t really matter how, as long as you are not using external implements, like razor blades or bottle tops,” he said.

“Fingers, sweat and everything else mean the ball should swing, otherwise it becomes totally a batsman’s game. Nails are part of the body. If you can encourage the ball to swing that, I think, is good for the game of cricket. It is good for the art of the game of cricket,” he added.

Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has been charged with alleged ball-tampering and bringing the game into disrepute following events at The Oval on August 20.

Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove penalised Pakistan five penalty runs for ball-tampering during the afternoon session of the fourth day. Inzamam and his team protested that decision by refusing to take the field following the tea interval, leading to them forfeiting the Test.

Pakistan faced England in the second match of the NatWest Series at Lord’s on Saturday and Woolmer was confident of a good performance. “I am very encouraged by our performances,” he added. “Cricket is the most important thing for all of us at the moment, and we will be concentrating on that. They are very determined and are playing some very good cricket. This is an interesting time in Pakistan’s cricket history,” he remarked.

Source:The News