Tampering claims ‘a beat-up’
UMPIRES cautioned England over the methods they used to quickly attain reverse swing at the MCG but the match referee is satisfied Jimmy Anderson did nothing illegal while cleaning the ball.
Footage emerged yesterday of Anderson working on the ball with his thumb, prompting Mike Hussey to suggest the paceman might be issued a ‘Please explain’.
“It’s a beat-up,” England coach Trevor Bayliss said.
“As soon as I saw the head- lines, I raced into the umpires and that was their words — ‘Nothing to worry about, it was a beat-up, absolutely fine, made up’.
“If he was trying to scratch it, he was scratching the wrong side.”
It was confirmed after play that match referee Ranjan Madugalle will not be levelling a ball-tampering charge.
Anderson is now in the clear, unless International Cricket Council chief executive David Richardson takes the highly unusual step of disagreeing with one of the game’s most respected officials. That isn’t expected to happen. Anderson, Joe Root and Stuart Broad were involved in a tense discussion with umpires Sundaram Ravi and Kumar Dharmasena on the morning of day four of the fourth Ashes Test.
Ravi later had a long chat with Root following the morning drinks break.
The discussions centred on the fact Root and many teammates had failed to return the ball on the full to keeper Jonny Bairstow.
The practice of using the abrasive centre-wicket block to help rough up the ball is frowned upon but widely used. Australia have also been warned by officials in Melbourne about doing it too much.
“Every team in the world does it so it’s a bit hard to stamp out,” Bayliss said.
“The umpires don’t want it to go overboard.”
Shane Warne and Michael Slater both suggested on the Nine Network that Anderson erred but stopped short of levelling any allegations.
“When you do anything to the ball besides shining it, (you should) make sure you go to the umpire,” Warne said.