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Aussie retracts ball-tampering comments

20/10/2005

An Australian fast bowler has retracted comments implying that England's bowlers use mints to achieve reverse swing with sugary saliva.

The news comes after Simon Jones hit back, calling the implied allegations a case of "sour grapes".

Nathan Bracken, who has played three Tests for Australia but did not feature in the team in their 2-1 Ashes defeat this summer, has apologised for any offence his comments may have caused.

"I thought it had come across as a joke but it has come across the wrong way. I apologise," he said.

He made the offending comments to a Sydney radio station yesterday, saying: "It is just a breath mint you put in your mouth, but it makes your saliva very sugary.

"When I was playing in Gloucestershire a couple of years ago, as soon as we needed the ball to go 'Irish', they would bring out some of these mints and it would work."

Considering the enormous impact that reverse swing had on England's Ashes victory, with Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff exploiting it to take 42 Australian wickets between them, the comments were bound to cause a row.

And sure enough Simon Jones responded by saying: " It's probably just sour grapes and are you telling me that they've not done it? It's a silly comment to make."

It is illegal for cricketers to use anything to tamper with the condition of the ball, but they are allowed to apply sweat and saliva in order to polish it.

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