Pakistan to probe Afridi ball-tampering

A committee investigating Pakistan's humiliating whitewash in Australia will also probe the ball-tampering offence by star all-rounder Shahid Afridi, an official said Friday.

"The six-man evaluation committee will start work from next week and we have also included Afridi's case in our terms of reference," said Wasim Bari, head of the committee and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief operating officer.

The probe will examine Pakistan's fateful 3-0 Test series defeat followed by a disastrous one-day series which the Australians won 5-0 on Sunday. Pakistan is playing the last match of the tour, a Twenty20 on Friday.

The other committee members are PCB governing board member Wazir Ali Khoja, former team manager Yawar Saeed, PCB director Zakir Khan, PCB legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi and director of the national cricket academy Haroon Rasheed.

Afridi, leading Pakistan in the absence of touring captain Mohammad Yousuf, was caught on television cameras, twice grasping the ball and chewing the leather to change its condition, a serious offence in cricket.

Bari said Afridi's foul was "unacceptable and we will look into the matter and make our recommendations."

He did not elaborate whether the all-rounder would face further punishment than the two-Twenty20 match ban imposed by International Cricket Council.

It was Afridi's third offence. He was initially banned for a Test and two one-day internationals for deliberately damaging a pitch during the Faisalabad Test against England in 2005.

He was also banned for four one-day matches for trying to hit a spectator during Pakistan's tour of South Africa in 2007.

Bari said the committee would summon team coach Intikhab Alam, manager Abdul Raqeeb, captain Yousuf and others for questioning before submitting a report to PCB chairman Ijaz Butt by the end of February.