Ball tampering a stain upon the game

FROM mints to add shine, deliberately throwing the ball in to the rough infield, or picking at the ball with extra-sharp fingernails, tampering has long been frowned on in cricket.

The object is to get the ball either to swing, or be changed to such a bad condition the umpires introduce a new ball, one that might swing.

A cricket ball really only swings in two instances: when it’s new, and the seam at its most coarse. Or, as a result of natural wear and tear, or tampering, as one side becomes scuffed and the other stays shiny.

New-ball swing is conventional, and some of its greatest modern exponents, like Aussie Mitchell Starc and England’s Jimmy Anderson, can be unplayable when they get the ball to “hoop”.

But reverse swing, with the old ball, is a cricketing mystery. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn’t.

At some grounds the area around the pitch can be coarse, rough, and the ball may find itself scuffed up naturally.

With the right care, that can produce the perfect ball for re- verse swing. That hasn’t been the case in Cape Town, and the Aussies have gone the other way — the illegal way — and the fallout will continue for some time. DIRT IN POCKET (1994)

Mike Atherton held on to the England captaincy and avoided suspension but he was fined $3700. The young skipper was using dirt taken from the pitch while working on the ball during a Test against South Africa at Lord’s. THE FORFEIT (2006)

Pakistan refused to take the field after tea on day four of a Test in England following ball- tampering accusations levelled by umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove, who called the match off, awarding England the win. THE BITE (2010)

Pakistan star Shahid Afridi was banned from two Twenty20 internationals after being caught on cameras trying to bite and chew the seam during an ODI in Perth. THE ZIPPER (2013)

Faf du Plessis pleaded guilty to the charge of ball tampering and was fined 50 per cent of his match fee. The South African rubbed the ball on the zipper of his pants pocket, prompting umpires to award a five-run penalty against the Proteas. SCRATCHING (2014)

South Africa paceman Vernon Philander was captured on cameras using his fingers and thumb to scratch the ball during a Test in Sri Lanka. He accepted the charge and was fined 75 per cent of his fee. MINTGATE (2016)

South Africa enjoyed a crushing win over Australia in Hobart, after which footage emerged of du Plessis using a mint to help shine the ball. Du Plessis was charged and copped three demerit points on his record.