Ball tampering
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In the sport of cricket, ball tampering is an action in which a fielder illegally alters the condition of the ball. Under Law 42, subsection 3 of the Laws of Cricket, 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.[1]
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[edit] Sanction
The umpires are responsible for monitoring the condition of the ball, and must inspect it irregularly. Where an umpire has deemed a fielder to be guilty of ball-tampering, five penalty runs are awarded to the batting side, and the ball must be immediately replaced. The replaced ball is normally chosen by the umpires, in which case the ball chosen 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 batsmen may be instead permitted to choose the ball from a selection of balls in various stages of use.
A bowler guilty of ball-tampering can be prohibited from continuing to bowl in that innings if he is found to be repeatedly ball-tampering. Following the conclusion of play, additional sanctions are usually brought against a ball-tamperer, as it is considered a serious offense. The captain may be equally penalized, as he is responsible for the conduct of his players on the field.
[edit] Examples
The use of foreign substances to polish the ball, while illegal, is in some corners considered to be relatively common, and passes without incident or sanction. Substances which are suggested for this purpose include hair gel, sugar and lip balm.[2]
In addition, picking at the threads of the main seam or 'lifting' the quarter seam to aid conventional and reverse swing respectively are considered illegal. Modifying the quarter seam can be particularly difficult to detect or prove.[3]
However, there has been a number of high-profile instances of ball tampering, particularly in international cricket due to the increase in television coverage. The Pakistani cricket team were arguably the first to come under scrutiny, when they were together in 1992 accused of ball-tampering to achieve large amounts of reverse swing.
Then England captain Michael Atherton was accused of ball tampering during the a test match with South Africa 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. Atherton was summoned to the match referee and was fined £2,000 for failing to disclose the dirt to the match referee.[4]
Waqar Younis became the first player to receive a suspension for ball-tampering after a match in 2000.[5]
In 2006, an alleged ball-tampering issue has overshadowed a test match between Pakistan and England, where 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.[6] 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 declared the game forfeited in accordance with the laws of cricket.[7]
[edit] Baseball analogy
The rules of Major League Baseball, specifically rule 8.02 regarding pitching, prevent the pitcher from applying a foreign object (including expectorate) to the baseball, or a glove or hand which holds the ball; neither may the pitcher rub the ball against his uniform. An illegal pitch delivered using a ball doctored in this fashion is known as a spitball (sometimes shineball or emeryball), and the penalty for such is immediate ejection from the game and a ten-match suspension.
There are special dispensations for the pitcher in inclement weather conditions. With agreement from both managers and officials, a pitcher may be permitted to blow on his hands in low temperatures, or use rosin to dry his hands in moist conditions.[8]
A row over ball-tampering erupted during Game 2 of the 2006 World Series when television pictures showed Detroit Tigers pitcher Kenny Rogers to have a foreign substance on his pitching hand. Rogers maintained the substance was merely dirt from the mound, and complied with a request from the umpires to wash his hands at the end of his second inning.[9] No further action was taken, but the issue was raised extensively in the media, who referred to the controversy by a number of nicknames including "dirtgate"[10] and "smudgegate"[11].
[edit] References
- ^ Law 42 (fair and unfair play) lords.org, 22 August 2006
- ^ "Ball tamperers caught out" Sporting Life
- ^ "Simon Hughes' Swing Guide" The London Telegraph 21 August 2006
- ^ "Atherton's Darkest Day" bbc.co.uk, August 28, 2000.
- ^ "Tougher line needed on ball tampering?" bbc.co.uk, July 13, 2000.
- ^ "Ball tampering row mars Oval Test" Cricinfo, 20 August 2006.
- ^ "Cricket bosses bid to save test" bbc.co.uk, August 20, 2006.
- ^ Major League Baseball Offical Rules 8.00: The Pitcher, mlb.com
- ^ "Rogers draws Tigers even in Game 2", mlb.com, October 22, 2006.
- ^ "Rogers' dirty hand overshadows his Game 2 brilliance", ESPN.com, October 22, 2006.
- ^ "Dirty thoughts: As series shifts to St. Louis, focus still on Smudgegate", Sports Illustrated, October 24, 2006.
