cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
, ball tampering is an action in which a fielder illegally alters the condition of the ball. The primary motivation of ball tampering is to interfere with the
aerodynamics
Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dy ...
of the ball to aid
swing bowling
Swing bowling is a technique used for bowling in the sport of cricket. Practitioners are known as swing bowlers. Swing bowling is generally classed as a subtype of fast bowling.
The aim of swing bowling is to cause the ball to move in the ai ...
Laws of Cricket
The ''Laws of Cricket'' is a code which specifies the rules of the game of cricket worldwide. The earliest known code was drafted in 1744 and, since 1788, it has been owned and maintained by its custodian, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in Lond ...
, the ball may be polished without the use of an artificial substance, may be dried with a towel if it is wet, and have mud removed from it under supervision; all other actions which alter the condition of the ball are illegal. These are usually taken to include rubbing the ball on the ground, scuffing with a fingernail or other sharp object, or tampering with the seam of the ball.
Purpose
Generally, the purpose of altering the state of the ball is to achieve more favourable bowling conditions. Examples of ball tampering would include a fielder applying a substance, such as lip balm or sweetened saliva, to shine one side of the ball or pick the seam of the ball to encourage more swing. Conversely, roughening one side of the ball by use of an abrasive or cutting surface (such as boot spikes or bottle caps or sandpaper) is also ball tampering.
Altering a ball legally
Using spit and/or sweat is common and, for practitioners of swing bowling, integral (made illegal due to the COVID 19 pandemic). The moisture gained from spit or sweat when combined with polishing, smooths out one half of the ball which in turn allows air to pass over one side of the ball more quickly than over the other. When bowled correctly, a bowler can get the ball to move from one side to the other through the air. Also, it is common for fielders to rub the ball against their clothing to dry or polish it, as seen in most cricket matches.
Sanction
The
umpires
An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection.
The term derives from the Old French nonper, ''non'', "not" and ''per'', ...
are responsible for monitoring the condition of the ball, and must inspect it regularly. Where an umpire has deemed a player to be guilty of ball tampering (the Laws refer to unfairly changing the condition of the ball), five
penalty run
In cricket, a penalty run is a type of extra. It is a run awarded to one team for various breaches of the Laws by the other team, generally related to unfair play or player conduct. Many of these penalties have been added since 2000. Penalties a ...
s are awarded to the other side, and, if desired by the opposing captain, the ball is immediately replaced. The replacement ball is chosen by the umpires, and should match the condition of the previous ball (before tampering) as closely as possible. Depending on additional agreements laid out before the beginning of a series of matches, the team may instead be permitted to choose the ball from a selection of balls in various stages of use.
If a bowler is found to be guilty of repeated ball tampering he can be prohibited from continuing to bowl in that innings. Following the conclusion of play, additional sanctions are usually brought against a ball tamperer, as it is considered a serious offence. The captain may also be penalised, if he is also responsible for the conduct of his players on the field.
Examples and allegations
The use of foreign substances to polish the ball is illegal, but may be difficult to detect by the umpires. Saliva used to be used commonly to add shine to the ball. But due to the COVID-19 Pandemic this has now been banned for obvious reasons. It's unclear if this rule will ever be reverted, players are now using other legal ways to shine the ball such as sweat. Substances which have been used for this purpose include
hair gel
Hair gel is a hairstyling product that is used to harden hair into a particular hairstyle.
History
Analysis of ancient Egyptian mummies has shown that they styled their hair using a fat-based gel. The researchers behind the analysis say tha ...
sweets
Candy, also called sweets (British English) or lollies (Australian English, New Zealand English), is a confection that features sugar as a principal ingredient. The category, called ''sugar confectionery'', encompasses any sweet confection, i ...
, and
lip balm
Lip balm or lip salve is a wax-like substance applied topically to the lips to moisturize and relieve chapped or dry lips, angular cheilitis, stomatitis, or cold sores. Lip balm often contains beeswax or carnauba wax, camphor, cetyl alcohol, l ...
. Some commentators have suggested that this form of undetected ball tampering may be common.
Picking at the threads of the main seam or 'lifting' the
quarter seam
The quarter seam is a small join which runs around a cricket ball at 90 degrees to the main seam. Unlike the main seam, the quarter seam has no stitching and is not raised above the surface of the ball. It is produced during the manufacturing proc ...
to aid conventional and reverse swing respectively are also illegal. Modifying the quarter seam can be particularly difficult to detect or prove.
There have been a number of high-profile instances of alleged ball tampering, particularly in
international cricket
International cricket matches are played between teams representing their nations, normally organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The main forms are Test matches, One-Day matches and Twenty20 matches.
Most games are played ...
due to the increase in
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
coverage. As ball tampering is a form of
cheating
Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert rules in order to obtain unfair advantages. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given preference using inappropriate crit ...
and is often difficult to prove, accusations have frequently been controversial.
Chris Pringle, 1990
During a tour of Pakistan,
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
bowler Chris Pringle used a concealed bottle cap to rough up one side of a ball during a 1990 series in
Faisalabad
Faisalabad (; Punjabi/ ur, , ; ), formerly known as Lyallpur (Punjabi, Urdu: لائل پور), named after the founder of the city, but was renamed in 1977 in honour of late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. It is the 3rd largest city of Pakis ...
. Pringle and his captain,
Martin Crowe
Martin David Crowe (22 September 1962 – 3 March 2016) was a New Zealand cricketer, Test and ODI captain as well as a commentator. He played for the New Zealand national cricket team between 1982 and 1995, and is regarded as one of the count ...
, both later admitted to this after they had retired from the game. The New Zealand team had suspected the
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
team of doing the same in the series, but there is no evidence beyond their claims.
Michael Atherton, 1994
In the "dirt in pocket" affair, then
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
captain
Michael Atherton
Michael Andrew Atherton (born 23 March 1968) is a broadcaster, journalist and a former England international first-class cricketer. A right-handed opening batsman for Lancashire and England, and occasional leg-break bowler, he achieved the ca ...
was accused of ball tampering during a Test match with
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
at Lord's in 1994, after television cameras caught Atherton reaching into his pocket and then rubbing a substance on the ball. Atherton denied ball tampering, claiming that he had dirt in his pocket which he used to dry his hands. He was also accused of lying to the match referee. Atherton was summoned to the match referee and was fined £2,000 (equivalent to £ in ) for failing to disclose the dirt to the match referee.
Waqar Younis, 2000
Waqar Younis
Waqar Younis Maitla HI (Punjabi, ur, ; born 16 November 1971) is a Pakistani cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer who captained Pakistan national cricket team. A right-arm fast bowler, Waqar Younis is regarded as one of the great ...
of
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
became the first player to receive a
suspension
Suspension or suspended may refer to:
Science and engineering
* Suspension (topology), in mathematics
* Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics
* Suspension of a ring, in mathematics
* Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspende ...
for ball tampering after a match in July 2000, and was fined 50% of his match fee.
Sachin Tendulkar, 2001
In the second Test match of
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
Mike Denness
Michael Henry Denness (1 December 1940 – 19 April 2013) was a Scottish cricketer who played for England, Scotland, Kent and Essex.
Scotland did not have a representative international team at the time of Denness' career, so he could only play ...
suspended
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the all time highest run-sco ...
for one game in light of alleged ball tampering. Television cameras picked up images that suggested Tendulkar was scuffing the seam of the cricket ball. The ICC later cleared Tendulkar of ball tampering charges, though said he had cleaned the ball without the umpire's permission.
Rahul Dravid, 2004
Rahul Dravid of India rubbed a cough lozenge on the shiny side of the ball at
The Gabba
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. The nickname Gabba derives from the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located. Over the years, the Ga ...
during an
Australian Tri-Series
The Australian Tri-Series was an annual one day international (ODI) cricket tournament held in Australia, and contested by Australia and two touring teams.
The series was the primary format for international one-day cricket throughout most of t ...
match against
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...
. India won the match, but footage emerged of Dravid tampering with the ball, and he was fined 50% of his match fee.
England cricket team, 2005
Marcus Trescothick
Marcus Edward Trescothick (born 25 December 1975) is an English former cricketer who played first-class cricket for Somerset County Cricket Club, and represented England in 76 Test matches and 123 One Day Internationals.county cricket for some time that certain sweets produced saliva which, when applied to the ball for cleaning purposes, enabled it to keep its shine for longer and therefore its swing." He found Murray Mints worked the best.
The admission came three years after the conclusion of the
2005 Ashes series
The 2005 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing cricket rivalry between England and Australia. Starting on 21 July 2005, England and Australia played five Tests, with the Ashes held by Australia as the most recent victors. ...
In 2006, an alleged ball-tampering issue overshadowed a Test match between Pakistan and England, whereby Pakistan refused to take to the field for the evening session after being penalised for ball tampering in the afternoon. Television cameras caught the umpires discussing the condition of the
quarter seam
The quarter seam is a small join which runs around a cricket ball at 90 degrees to the main seam. Unlike the main seam, the quarter seam has no stitching and is not raised above the surface of the ball. It is produced during the manufacturing proc ...
. Pakistan are believed to have intended a protest against the decision by delaying their return after tea; however, while they were refusing to play, the umpires awarded the game to England in accordance with the Laws of Cricket.
At 19:50 UTC it was finally announced at a press conference that the Test was over. The ECB's statement said that England were awarded the match by the umpires as Pakistan refused to take the field after being warned that under law 21.3, failure to do so would result in them forfeiting the game. This is the first time a
Test match Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to:
* Test cricket
* Test match (indoor cricket)
* Test match (rugby union)
* Test match (rugby league)
* Test match (association football)
...
has been decided this way.
As a result of Pakistan's forfeiting of the game, Inzamam was charged and found guilty of "bringing the game into disrepute", though he was cleared of the charges relating to "changing the condition of the ball".
In July 2008, the International Cricket Council (ICC) changed the result of the match to a draw. On 1 February 2009, the ICC reversed their earlier decision, and changed the match result back to a win for England.
James Anderson and Stuart Broad, 2010
In January 2010, England bowlers
Stuart Broad
Stuart may refer to:
Names
*Stuart (name), a given name and surname (and list of people with the name) Automobile
* Stuart (automobile)
Places
Australia Generally
*Stuart Highway, connecting South Australia and the Northern Territory
Northe ...
and
James Anderson James Anderson may refer to:
Arts
*James Anderson (American actor) (1921–1969), American actor
*James Anderson (author) (1936–2007), British mystery writer
*James Anderson (English actor) (born 1980), British actor
* James Anderson (filmmaker) ...
were accused of ball tampering by stopping the ball with the spikes of their boots in the third Test Match against South Africa.
Broad maintained that he was just being lazy, because it was in Cape Town that day.
Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain (born 28 March 1968) is a British cricket commentator and former cricketer who captained the England cricket team between 1999 and 2003, with his overall international career extending from 1990 to 2004. A pugnacious right-ha ...
, who had captained Anderson, said: "Stuart Broad and James Anderson were wrong to behave in the manner they did and I've no doubt that if a player from another country did the same we'd have said they were cheating."
No charges were formally requested by South Africa even though they made the accusations at a press conference.
Shahid Afridi, 2010
Shahid Afridi, standing in as the Pakistani captain, received a two T20 international match ban for ball tampering in a match against Australia in January 2010. He was caught on camera biting the cricket ball in a bizarre attempt to re-adjust the seam of the ball. The ball was eventually replaced. He told the ''
Hindustan Times
''Hindustan Times'' is an Indian English-language daily newspaper based in Delhi. It is the flagship publication of HT Media, an entity controlled by the KK Birla family, and is owned by Shobhana Bhartia.
It was founded by Sunder Singh Ly ...
'' that he was trying to smell the ball, but he pleaded guilty to ball tampering. Afridi had previously been banned for tampering with the pitch in a game against England in 2005.
Australia vs Sri Lanka, 2012
In the first Test, Sri Lanka notified match referee Chris Broad that Australian bowler
Peter Siddle
Peter Matthew Siddle (born 25 November 1984) is an Australian cricketer. He is a specialist right-arm fast-medium bowler who currently plays for Tasmania in first-class and List A cricket and for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League. ...
may have been raising the seam of the ball during Sri Lanka's first innings. Peter Siddle collected 5/54. He was later cleared by the ICC.
Faf du Plessis, 2013
While fielding during the third day of the second Test in Dubai, cameras captured footage of South Africa fielder
Faf du Plessis
Francois "Faf" du Plessis ( ; born 13 July 1984) is a South African professional cricketer and former captain of the South Africa national cricket team. He is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time and is among the best all-forma ...
scuffing the ball against the zip of his trousers. The on-field umpires penalised South Africa by adding 5 runs to Pakistan's total and changing the ball. The match referee imposed a 50% match fee fine on du Plessis after the fielder pleaded guilty, although the team manager Mohammed Moosajee maintained that penalty was "harsh", and the team decided not to challenge the finding as it may have led to heavier sanctions. Despite the "guilty" plea, team vice-captain
AB de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers (born 17 February 1984) is a former South African international cricketer. AB de Villiers was named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times during his 15-year international career and was one of the five W ...
maintained that "we are not cheats" and team captain
Graeme Smith
Graeme Craig Smith (born 1 February 1981) is a South African cricket commentator and former cricketer who played for South Africa in all formats. In 2003, he was appointed captain of the national team, taking over from Shaun Pollock. He held t ...
denied that their participation in ball tampering tainted the series-levelling win, as South Africa went on to record an innings victory during the Test.
South Africa vs Sri Lanka, 2014
For the second time in nine months, the South African Test side found itself in a ball-tampering scandal, this time with medium-pace bowler
Vernon Philander
Vernon Darryl Philander (born 24 June 1985) is a South African former international cricketer. He was a right-handed bowling all-rounder; he had previously represented his country at under 19 level. He played for the South Africa national cricke ...
found guilty of tampering with the ball during the third day of the Galle Test against Sri Lanka in 2014. Philander was found to have breached clause 42.1 of the Laws, "scratching the ball with his fingers and thumb", and was fined 75% of his match fee. South Africa went on to win the Test by 153 runs.
This incident followed speculation by Australian Test batsman
David Warner David or Dave Warner may refer to:
Sports
* Dave Warner (strongman) (born 1969), Northern Ireland strongman competitor
* David Bruce Warner (born 1970), South African alpine skier
* David Warner (cricketer) (born 1986), Australian cricketer
Oth ...
in February 2014 over the South African team's practices in altering the state of the ball during Australia's tour to South Africa. Speaking to
Sky Sports Radio
Sky Sports Radio (formerly 2KY) is a commercial radio station based in Sydney, broadcasting throughout New South Wales and Canberra on a network of over 140 narrowcast transmitters as well as the main 1017 AM frequency in Sydney. It broadcasts ...
, Warner commented on the South African fielders' more "obvious" use of throwing the ball into the ground on return throws after fielding, and South African wicket-keeper
AB de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin de Villiers (born 17 February 1984) is a former South African international cricketer. AB de Villiers was named as the ICC ODI Player of the Year three times during his 15-year international career and was one of the five W ...
' habit of getting "the ball in his hand and with his glove wipe the rough side every ball."
Warner was later fined 15% of his match fee for the comments he made, under an ICC Code of Conduct breach.
South Africa vs Australia, 2016
Another South African was charged with ball tampering on 18 November 2016 after their victory in the second Test against Australia in Hobart. Proteas skipper
Faf du Plessis
Francois "Faf" du Plessis ( ; born 13 July 1984) is a South African professional cricketer and former captain of the South Africa national cricket team. He is considered one of the greatest fielders of all time and is among the best all-forma ...
was alleged to have tampered with the condition of the ball after TV footage appeared to show him applying saliva onto the ball from a mint or a lolly. The charge was made by the ICC, although Cricket Australia did not file a complaint. Du Plessis was found guilty of ball tampering on 22 November and fined his match fee from the second Test.
Australia vs South Africa, 2018
Australian player
Cameron Bancroft
Cameron Timothy Bancroft (born 19 November 1992) is an Australian cricketer contracted to Western Australia in Australian first class cricket, Durham in English first class cricket, and the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League. He made his T ...
was charged with ball tampering on 24 March 2018, when videos emerged that showed him rubbing the ball with, and later concealing, a yellow object during day three of the
Third Test
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* H ...
against South Africa at
Newlands Stadium
The Newlands Stadium, referred to as DHL Newlands for sponsorship reasons,
is located in Cape Town, South Africa. The stadium has a capacity of 51,900 people, but is not an all-seater venue.
Various sports teams use the stadium as their hom ...
. Bancroft later claimed the object was a short length of yellow adhesive tape to which dirt and grit had adhered, forming an abrasive surface – though four days later,
Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA), formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the 'Australian Board of Control for International Crick ...
confirmed that this was actually sandpaper. Captain
Steve Smith Stephen, Steve, Stevie, or Steven Smith may refer to:
Academics
* Steve Smith (political scientist) (born 1952), British international relations theorist and senior university manager
* Stephen Smith (journalist) (born 1956), American journalist, ...
and Bancroft attended a press conference at the end of that day's play. Bancroft admitted ball tampering to
Andy Pycroft
Andrew John Pycroft (born 6 June 1956) is a former Zimbabwean cricketer who played in 3 Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals from 1983 to 1992.
Domestic career
He played for Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic ...
, the match referee, and the press. Smith then said that the tampering was planned by an unnamed "leadership group" during the lunch break. Smith and vice-captain David Warner stood down from the team leadership the morning after the incident, but still played on, with wicket-keeper
Tim Paine
Timothy David Paine (born 8 December 1984) is an Australian cricketer and a former captain of the Australia national cricket team in Test cricket. A right-handed batsman and a wicket-keeper, he plays for the Tasmanian Tigers in Australian dome ...
taking over as captain for the rest of the Test match.
The ICC banned Smith for one Test match and he was fined 100% of his match fee, while Bancroft was fined 75% of his match fee.
As well as a public outcry, especially in Australia, the
Australian Sports Commission
The Australian Sports Commission (ASC) is the Australian Government commission responsible for supporting and investing in sport in Australia. The Commission incorporates the Australian Institute of Sport. From 2018 to 2022, it was known as S ...
, the Prime Minister of Australia
Malcolm Turnbull
Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Turnbull grad ...
, many famous international cricketers and commercial partners of both the Test side and Cricket Australia universally condemned the team for its actions.
Steve Smith, David Warner and Bancroft were charged with bringing the game into disrepute, suspended, and sent home. Smith and Warner were then banned from all international cricket and domestic cricket in Australia for twelve months while Bancroft received a nine-month ban. Australia's coach
Darren Lehmann
Darren Scott Lehmann (born 5 February 1970) is an Australian cricket coach and former cricketer who coached the Australian national team. Lehmann made his ODI debut in 1996 and Test debut in 1998. He was on the fringes of national selection fo ...
, though not directly involved, announced he would step down from his role following the scandal.
Sri Lanka vs West Indies, 2018
On the third morning of the second Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka in June 2018, the umpires replaced the match ball and awarded the West Indies five penalty runs when they deemed the Sri Lankan team to have been guilty of ball tampering on the previous day. The Sri Lankan team initially refused to take the field in protest, though they completed the match. Their captain,
Dinesh Chandimal
Lokuge Dinesh Chandimal ( si, ලොකුගේ දිනේෂ් චන්දිමාල්; born 18 November 1989) is a professional Sri Lankan cricketer who captained the Sri Lanka national cricket team. A handy and agile right-handed ba ...
, was charged with altering the condition of the ball by the match referee. Chandimal appealed the charge, but he was given a one-match ban by the ICC.
Nicholas Pooran
Nicholas Pooran (; born 2 October 1995) is a Trinidadian cricketer who currently plays for the West Indies cricket team in limited overs cricket and a former captain of the limited-overs formats. He also plays for the Trinidad and Tobago in West ...
was found guilty of ball tampering. Pooran admitted the charge, and was banned for four T20I matches.
spitball
A spitball is an illegal baseball pitch in which the ball has been altered by the application of a foreign substance such as saliva or petroleum jelly. This technique alters the wind resistance and weight on one side of the ball, causing it to m ...
or
emery ball
An emery ball is an illegal pitch in baseball, in which the ball has been altered by scuffing it with a rough surface, such as an emery board or sandpaper. This technique alters the spin of the ball, causing it to move in an atypical manner, a ...