All teams tamper with ball: Afridi

Zeecric Bureau Perth: In a claim that could have serious implications on the integrity of modern day cricketers, Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi accused his contemporaries of indulging in the unfair practice of ball-tampering. Afridi caught by the cameras biting the ball on a couple of occasions during his team’s 2-wicket loss to Australia at Perth on Sunday. The flamboyant all-rounder was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to "changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket", and was subsequently banned for 2 matches.Later talking to the reporters, Afridi, while admitting to tampering the ball, created a stir in cricketing circles saying that ‘the practice was common among all teams.’ "I shouldn`t have done it. It just happened. I was trying to help my bowlers and win a match, one match," he said. "There is no team in the world that doesn`t tamper with the ball. My methods were wrong. I am embarrassed, I shouldn`t have done it. I just wanted to win us a game but this was the wrong way to do it."