Controversy as Australia whitewash Pakistan, again
A wacky moment from Pakistan stand-in captain Shahid Afridi could cost him a spell on the sidelines as Australia secured a 5-0 series whitewash with an incident-filled two-wicket victory at the WACA.
Afridi, named captain for the day after Mohammad Yousuf withdrew due to a knee injury, was caught on camera biting the ball with Australia precariously placed at 7-178 and needing 35 more runs for victory off 30 balls to chase down Pakistan’s 212.
Umpires replaced the ball straight away and the game was further spoiled when a ground invader tackled Pakistan fieldsman Khalid Latif to the ground in the 47th over.
Latif was unhurt in the incident and laughed it off but it could get serious for the management at the WACA if Cricket Australia and the ICC decide to scrutinize the matter further.
It was the second time in the match a spectator invaded the field of play and no less than 16 security guards lined the boundary after Latif was brought to the ground by the Australian Football League type tackle.
Mike Hussey (40 not out off 46 balls), Nathan Hauritz (18 off 20 balls) and Ryan Harris (two not out) ensured Australia sneaked over the line with four balls and two wickets to spare after Ricky Ponting’s 55 set up the innings.
But it was Afridi’s bizarre incident that had everyone talking.
Afridi, who claimed 2-31 from his 10 overs, was banned for one Test and two one-dayers in 2005 for rubbing his boots on the pitch in a Test against England and could now face a hefty suspension for ball tampering.
Set a modest 213 for victory, Australia were cruising at 122-3 in the 32nd over before a collapse of 3-28, which included the wicket of Ponting and Adam Voges (24), catapulted Pakistan back into the game.
But Hussey, Mitchell Johnson (13) and Hauritz did enough to hold off Pakistan’s late charge.
Australia needed just one run off the last four balls and secured the win when Harris was caught off a no-ball from Rao Iftikhar.
Hussey’s latest knock took his series aggregate to 220 runs at an average of 73.
Earlier, Pakistan were tottering at 3-16 in the ninth over before dogged half-centuries from Umar Akmal (67 off 102 balls) and Fawad Alam (63 off 70) helped lift the visitors to a total of respectability, with Alam last man out in the 50th over.
In-form seamer Ryan Harris, man-of-the-match in the last two games, again tormented Pakistan with figures of 3-44 while Clint McKay (4-35) was also clinical.
Recalled left-arm speedster Mitchell Johnson, playing his first game of the series, bowled with blistering pace to claim 2-42.
