Nathan Brackan - file
melbourne, (reuters)
AUSTRALIA PACE BOWLER Nathan Bracken has backed down from his claims that a breath mint may have been behind England's bowlers achieving reverse swing during the Ashes.
Australia's batsmen were baffled by the way England's bowlers, particularly Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones, were able to make the ball reverse swing in the series, won 2-1 by England.
In an interview on Wednesday, Bracken said players in England used a certain type of mint that sweetened their saliva which, when rubbed on the ball, aided reverse swing bowling.
Yesterday, however, Bracken said he had been joking when he made the comment and apologised to England's bowlers, in particular Jones who had ridiculed the claims.
"I thought it'd come across as a joke and it's come across the wrong way," Bracken told reporters.
"I apologise to Simon Jones ... We're making every effort at the moment to get in contact with him and basically just settle things out so everything's perfectly fine and then definitely make sure no offence was taken."
Reverse swing, the ability to swing an old cricket ball in the opposite direction to that expected by batsmen, has puzzled the cricket world for decades.
Most theories on how to achieve it were based on suspicion and claims it was done illegally, while some players were caught on tape trying to scuff up the ball or apply lubricants, earning the practice a dubious reputation as ball-tampering.
Players are allowed to apply sweat and saliva to polish the ball.
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