Right: past "greats" such as Shane Warne and Michael Clarke have expressed dismay over the Australian team's alleged tampering.
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Background information
The information below on ball-tampering was written by Leeza Mangaldas and published in Forbes Magazine on March 29, 2018.
The full text can be accessed at
The information on the 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal has been taken from a Wikipedia entry titled '2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal'
The full text can be accessed at
What is ball-tampering?
In cricket, ball-tampering refers to the illegal manipulation of the ball to alter its condition. Doing so typically results in a bowler being able to utilise 'reverse swing', where the ball veers sideways as it moves through the air at high speed towards the batsman, because one side of the ball is rougher than the other. This can be done by either roughing up or polishing one side of the ball relative to the other, and makes a delivery more difficult for the batsman to receive.
Under the laws of the game, players are not allowed to apply artificial substances to the ball. There are four levels of offences under the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, with four being the highest in terms of severity. Ball-tampering is regarded as a level two offence, which is serious.
2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal
In March 2018, the Australian cricket team was involved in a ball-tampering scandal during and after the Third Test match against South Africa in Cape Town. The attempt at ball tampering was carried out by Cameron Bancroft, but the captain, Steve Smith, and vice-captain, David Warner, were found to be involved and all three received unprecedented lengthy bans from international and domestic cricket. Although he was found not have been involved, Australia's coach, Darren Lehmann, also announced he would step down from his role following the scandal.
The offence
On 24 March 2018, after lunch on the third day of the third Test match between Australia and South Africa, Australia's Cameron Bancroft was shown on the television coverage and on screens at the ground appearing to rub the ball with a small yellow object. When Bancroft realised that he had been seen, he was again shown on the television coverage and on screens at the ground hiding the object in the front of his trousers while the umpires were looking away. He was then approached by the umpires, and he showed them a dark microfibre sunglass pouch from his pocket. The umpires inspected the ball, and chose not to offer the ball to the South African team to replace it if they wished, and/or award them five penalty runs, the options available to the umpires under Law 41.3 of the Laws of Cricket. This indicated that the ball had not been altered in any noticeable way.
First press conference
At the press conference at the end of the day's play, Bancroft admitted that he was shown attempting to alter the condition of the ball using a short length of yellow adhesive tape to which dirt and grit had adhered, forming an abrasive surface. Five days later he admitted it was sandpaper, which cricketers use to maintain their bats. Also at the press conference was Australian captain Steve Smith, who admitted that he knew of the plan in advance. Smith said that the plan was made during the lunch break by the "leadership group", which he did not name. Smith said it was a "big mistake" and when questioned by the media, said that he would not be standing down.
Charges and International Cricket Council penalties
Andy Pycroft, the match referee, charged Bancroft with a Level 2 offence of attempting to alter the condition of the ball. David Richardson, CEO of the International Cricket Council, charged Smith with 'conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game'. Smith accepted the charge and the proposed sanction of two suspension points, which equated to a ban for the next test match and four demerit points added to his record, and fined him 100% of his match fee. Bancroft accepted the charge, was handed three demerit points and fined 75% of his match fee.
Cricket Australia penalties
After investigating what had occurred and discovering that sandpaper had been applied to the ball in a plan devised by vice-captain, David Warner, unchallenged and covered up by captain, Steven Smith, and implemented by Cameron Bancroft, Cricket Australia imposed penalties on all three. Smith and Warner were recalled from South Africa and banned from playing first class international or domestic cricket for a year. Bancroft was recalled and banned for nine months. Neither Smith nor Bancroft will be considered for a leadership position in Australian cricket for two years and Warner has been barred from ever occupying such a position.