From: nazir@sw.stratus.com (Meer Nazir)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Aqib Javed ct picking the seam?
Date: 12 Aug 92 16:00:12 GMT
Reply-To: somebody@somehost.edu
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc.

In article <1992Aug12.113300.3367@st-andrews.ac.uk>, rasf@st-andrews.ac.uk (Russell Anthony Stewart Fiedler) writes:

> >Zooming in may be a better description. The camera was kept
> >focussed on the ball many times, during which what all one could
> >see of Aqib on the screen was from his chest downwards to his 
> >thighs where he was polishing the ball. This is not the normal 
> >sort of camerawork we see as the ball is relayed back to the
> >bowler. 
> >
> >The view on the TV was that one could see AJ's left hand in full
> >view but not the right hand. In my judgement the scratching
> >action with the right thumb was not enough to cover even the
> >quarter seam. 
> >
> 
> I've received email from one person, who wishes to stay out of things, backing
> up my version of what happened so I'm pretty confident in what I've said. I
> think that we'll just have to agree to disagree on whether Aqib was running
> his thumbnail along the seam or was scratching the ball in some way.
> 
> >I'll quote some lines from The Independent (Tuesday 11 Aug).
> >...
> >Clyde Walcott, the match referee assigned to oversee the decisive 
> >fifth Test at The Oval, also exonerated the Pakistani fast 
> >bowlers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis. Having inspected the ball 
> >at the end of each innings as well as during every interval, he 
>         ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^            ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> >declared himself satisfied that there has been no subterfuge.
> >...
> 
> Well, you'd have to be really stupid to tamper with the ball when there are
> 9 wickets down or last over before lunch, wouldn't you?
> Look, don't get me wrong here. I'm not saying or implying that the 2W's have
> ever done anything illegal to the ball (or had others do their dirty work for 
> them). I'll leave that to the Sun, Star and Mickey Stewart. I've related one
> suspicious incident involving AJ. Given the amount of scrutiny of the Pakistan
> team I'm convinced that this is a totally isolated incident. The 2W's and
> Mushtaq form the most enterprising and entertaining bowling attack in cricket
> today. Whether they are as effective as the WI attack is moot but I know which
> one gives the spectator value for money although watching Curtley Ambrose
> working over Hick last year was good fun I must admit! They've gotten where
> they are by means of talent, intelligence (refer SAN's post on use of the
> return crease by WY etc) and hard work.
> 
> >... (still from the Indie)
> >Besides, it would require the claws of an Edward Scissorhands to 
> >make much of an impression on today's rigidly stitched seams.
> 
> Methinks that this correspondent should play a bit more cricket and stay
> out of the cinema (or bar). He's living in a fantasy land. Picking of the
> seam has been going on for ages and still occurs. It's just that it's very
> very rare at the top level. Go to club level cricket. It happens. As in most
> sports, those who aren't up to it take short cuts.

 There has been some exccellent discussion on the physics of motion of the swinging
 ball. I just want to add that I remeber in my PhysicsI class, we had discussion
 about cheating in baketball in which the players use sharp pieces of razor blade or
 small sharp knives to scratch some area of basketball for air flow advantage.
 Our discussion is some related to this topic. I will stand with indie who said it
 would require the claws of Edward Scissorhand to make an impression on a hard leather
 cricket ball. 
 If in close up you have seen AJ scratching the ball with nails, he probably would
 have been pressing those loose joints of the thread. Do an observation on a 40~50
 over old ball and you will see those loose joints of threads.
 BTW I have not any part of the test match on television so my opinion is purely on the
 basis of what I am reading on RSC.
 Anyway we should all be thankfull to both ENGLISH and PAKISTANI teams for playing
 such great cricket. 

 Cheers

 MEER NAZIR