Lalit Modi
Mumbai: Former Indian cricket team fast bowler Praveen Kumar revealed that Lalit Modi, former cricket administrator and a financial fraud fugitive, threatened to end his cricketing career, NDTV reported citing Lallantop.
In the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League, Praveen Kumar wanted to play for Delhi Daredevils as it was close to his hometown of Meerut, not Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Praveen Kumar, however, signed a paper from an RCB official which he did not know was the contract, thus tying him up to the team, according to the report.
When he told the authorities that he wanted to play for Delhi, not Bangalore, Lalit Modi threatened to end his career.
‘I did not want to play for RCB because Bangalore was quite far away from my place, I didn't know English, and the food was not to my liking. Delhi is quite close to Meerut, which would have allowed me to travel to my home once in a while. However, there was a person who made me sign a paper. I did not know it was the contract. I told them I wanted to play for Delhi and not Bangalore. Lalit Modi called me and threatened to end my career,’ Praveen was quoted as saying.
Revealing further about cricket, he said that ball-tampering is common among players and Pakistan players practice it more than others to ‘boost their reverse swing’.
Reverse swing was a major weapon that fast bowlers successfully deployed and Pakistan fast blowers were known to be experts in it.
Praveen claimed that players scratched the ball to reverse swing but added that despite tampering, it takes skills to swing it properly during bowling.
‘Everyone does a little bit; they (Pakistan bowlers) do it a bit more. That's what I've heard. Now, there are cameras everywhere. Earlier, everyone used to do it. And everyone knows as well. They would scratch it from one side. But you need to know how to use that skill, too. If I scratch the ball and give to someone, one will need to have the skills to reverse-swing it. One has to learn that,’ Praveen was quoted as saying.