Gul matter behind us - Vettori
George Binoy
June 15, 2009
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Reverse role: Umar Gul © AFP
Related Links
Player/Officials: Ijaz Butt | Intikhab Alam | Geoff Lawson | Ranjan Madugalle | Umar Gul | Daniel Vettori
Matches: New Zealand v Pakistan at The Oval
Series/Tournaments: ICC World Twenty20
Teams: Pakistan
Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand captain, has said he "raised a couple of concerns" with the on-field umpires and the match referee regarding Umar Gul's bowling during the Super Eights game against Pakistan but had put the matter behind him after the officials had "no issues at all with the state of the ball".
Gul wrecked New Zealand's innings at The Oval, taking 5 for 6, the first five-wicket haul in Twenty20 internationals, and dismissed them for 99. At the press conference after the game, Vettori expressed his surprise over the amount of reverse swing Gul was getting as early as the 12th over. He informally sought out Ranjan Madugalle, the match referee, to ask whether he was satisfied over Gul swinging the ball legitimately.
"The amount of reverse swing that we saw was new to us and therefore we raised a couple of concerns with the on-field umpires and the match referee," Vettori said. "They relayed back to us that they had no issues at all with the state of the ball. We accepted that and now we move on to our important game against Sri Lanka." Vettori also said he had no discussions with Pakistan captain Younis Khan after the game regarding the matter.
The Pakistan board and team management had expressed their disappointment that questions were being about Gul's reverse swing. Coach Intikhab Alam said it was down to Gul's talent. "It is disappointing to hear these things," Alam told AFP. "Umar is a fantastic bowler. Not everyone can bowl a reverse ball. You've got to have a special ability to do that. He's quick and his action makes a lot of difference."
There was also strong criticism from Ijaz Butt, the PCB chairman, over Vettori's comments. "I didn't expect it from a cricketer like Vettori," he told Cricinfo. "I have a lot of respect for him, but he made a statement which is uncalled for. [Gul] would never do a thing like this."
Geoff Lawson, the former Pakistan coach, was commentating on Saturday's match at The Oval and noted that several New Zealand pacemen achieved subtle reverse swing towards the end of their innings.
"My first reaction after reading [Vettori's] comments was of being pretty disappointed," Lawson told Cricinfo. "It sounded as if an issue was being made just because the New Zealand batsmen couldn't play him. There was no great mystery to what he was doing. He was bowling it nice and full and getting it to go just enough, not metres.
"I was commentating the game, and we were noting on air that some of the New Zealand bowlers were getting it to go a little bit reverse when they were bowling full towards the end of their innings. Gul was the best bowler at the last World Twenty20 and it's pretty disappointing for New Zealand to have made an unofficial approach. It seems Pakistan carry the cross for these kinds of things."
(With Alex Brown and Nagraj Gollapudi)
Gul matter behind us - Vettori | Cricket News | ICC World Twenty20 2009 | Cricinfo.com