A brain-implosion 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 Ground.
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 changed the ball straight away and the game was further marred 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 cast a deep shadow over the match.
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.
Mike Hussey (40 not out off 46 balls), Nathan Hauritz (18 off 20 balls) and Ryan Harris (two not out) ensured Australia got 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 biting 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 scraping 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 3-122 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 contest.
But Hussey, Mitchell Johnson (13) and Hauritz did enough to hold off Pakistan’s 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.
Pakistan collapsed to 3-16 in the ninth order after winning the toss and electing to bat before face-saving half-centuries from Umar Akmal (67 off 102 balls) and Fawad Alam (63 off 70) helped lift the visitors to somewhat of a respectable total, with Alam last man out in the 50th over.
In-form speedster Harris, buoyed by consecutive man-of-the-match awards, again haunted Pakistan with figures of 3-44 while Clint McKay (4-35) was also clinical.
Recalled speedster Johnson, playing his first game of the series, bowled with great pace and gusto to claim 2-42, striking tail-ender Iftikhar in the head with a vicious bouncer in the process.
Johnson, who regularly bowled in excess of 150km/h, added a run-out to his name in an impressive return to action.
Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke and paceman Peter Siddle were ruled out of the match due to back complaints, with Johnson and Voges called in.
McKay was named man of the match while Harris was man of the series for his 13 wickets in three games.
McKay said he didn’t see the Afridi incident but was disgusted by the ground invader.
“I thought it was disgraceful,” McKay said.
“Something you don’t want to see ever.
“For someone to go out there and to touch one of their players is not on.
“Hopefully it all gets put to bed and he gets a right whack.
“It’s not something you want to happen.
“It’s probably the worst thing that can happen on a cricket field … so hopefully it gets stamped out and we don’t see it again.”
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