Former Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed alleges India used Vaseline for ball tampering in fifth Test against England

PTC Web Desk:  Former Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed has accused India of ball tampering during the fifth and final Test match against England at The Oval. India won the thrilling match by just six runs, levelling the five-match Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series 2-2. Shabbir raised doubts about how Indian bowlers, especially Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, were able to swing an 80-over-old ball both ways on Day 5.

He suggested that India may have used Vaseline to keep the ball shiny and urged the ICC to send the ball to a lab for testing. “I think India used Vaseline. After 80 overs, the ball still shined like new. The umpire should send this ball to the lab for examination,” Shabbir wrote on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Despite overcast conditions and a seam-friendly pitch throughout the match, the Indian pacers' impressive performance helped bowl out England’s last seven batters for just 66 runs. However, Shabbir refused to credit the bowlers' skills, instead accusing them of foul play.

During the final day, Siraj dismissed key batters with brilliant swing bowling, while Krishna cleaned up the tail with sharp deliveries. Interestingly, India did not take the new ball even after 80 overs, as the old one continued to work well.

This is not the first time Indian bowlers have been accused of tampering. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, Pakistan’s Hasan Raza claimed that India was given a “different ball.” In the 2024 T20 World Cup, which India won, Inzamam-ul-Haq accused Arshdeep Singh of ball tampering. However, Mohammed Shami had strongly denied such claims back then.