Former Pakistan fast bowler Shabbir Ahmed Khan has ignited controversy by suggesting India might have tampered with the ball during their gripping six-run victory over England at The Oval, which secured a 2–2 draw in the Anderson–Tendulkar Trophy. Posting on X, Shabbir speculated that India could have used Vaseline on the ball, pointing out that it remained unusually shiny after over 80 overs of play, and called on match officials to send it for laboratory examination.
India’s decision to decline the new ball despite being eligible for a change proved decisive. The older ball continued to swing significantly, as Mohammed Siraj dismissed Jamie Smith, and later trapped Jamie Overton LBW. This masterful bowling led India to a stunning comeback, with Mohammed Siraj finishing with five wickets in the innings (nine in the match) and Prasidh Krishna contributing four crucial dismissals. Siraj sealed victory with a pinpoint yorker that knocked over Gus Atkinson’s off-stump and earned him Player of the Match honors, also finishing the series with 23 wickets at the top of the charts.
Shabbir’s remarks “I think India used Vaseline. After 80 + over Ball still shine like new. Umpire should send this ball to lab for examine” have added fresh tension to the aftermath of an otherwise spectacular series.
“India used VASELINE …”
– Shabbir Ahmed Khan, Former Pakistan Test Bowler THINKS because of ball’s shine even after 80+ overs pic.twitter.com/IS1FWNn3bO– Basit Subhani (@BasiSiShani) August 4, 2025
Pak Age Old Tactics
Allegations of ball tampering are not new and this is not the first time accusations have been directed at India. After the 2024 T20 World Cup, Inzamam-ul-Haq alleged that Arshdeep Singh was altering the ball to achieve reverse swing, while during the 2023 ODI World Cup, Hasan Raza claimed India had embedded chips in the ball to assist Mohammed Shami. However, such accusations have seldom been corroborated by concrete evidence.
Under the Laws of Cricket (Law 41.3), it is permitted to polish the ball using only natural substances like saliva or sweat, but applying artificial substances such as Vaseline is strictly prohibited and classified as ball tampering. With no official investigation announced yet, the cricketing world will watch closely to see whether match officials heed the call to examine the ball, or whether the claim will fade like many others noisy, yet unsupported by proof.
