Internet Desk: South African captain Faf du Plesis became the latest in the list of cricketers who have been charged with ball tampering. The Proteas captain was caught applying an artificial substance to the ball during the fourth day’s play in the Second Test match in Hobart, which concluded on Tuesday.
Talking about ball tampering, such unsporting act dates back to 1976-77 series between India and England. Tony Greig’s England, who thrashed India 3-1 in that series, was dragged into controversy.
Debutant John Lever was accused by India captain Bishan Singh Bedi of using Vaseline to polish the ball to extract copious amounts of swing.
The gentleman’s game has been brought to disrepute by many cricketers. Here are the top 5 instances of ball tampering that has rocked the cricket world.
2000: Paksitani bowlers have been at the receiving end on a number of occasions for taking unscrupulous measure on the field. Leading the list is Waqar Younis who became the first cricketer to be suspended for ball tampering during an international match. The former Pakistan coach committed the act during an ODI against South Africa in Colombo following which he was docked 50% of his match fee.
2001: Perhaps the most talked about incident of ball tampering took place during the 2001-02 series between India and South Africa. Sachin Tendulkar who otherwise had a clean image was charged with tampering the ball by match referee Mike Denness in the second test match of the series at Port Elizabeth. Tendulkar was suspended for one match and was fined 70% of his match fees. The master blaster was seen running his fingers through the seam. He explained he was merely trying to clean the seam in wet conditions. But the English match referee deemed it to be an offence. India threatened to call off the Stour but persisted only after the South African board agreed not to allow Denness to officiate in the third and final Test.
1994: Former England captain Mike Atherton was in the middle of controversy for rubbing dust on the ball in the Lord’s test against South Africa in 1994. The former Lancashire opening batsman, now in India to do commentary was caught on camera rubbing dirt on the ball. He defended himself by saying he had carried the dust to keep his hands dry. Oddly, Atherton was let off with a £2,000 fine — for failing to disclose to the match referee that he had dirt in his pocket
2002 & 2003: Former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar often found himself on the wrong side due to his act of ball tampering. He was reprimanded for ball tampering in a Test match against Zimbabwe in Harare. The Rawalpindi Express was in the middle of controversy again in 2003 when he was found guilty of scratching the seam on an ODI against New Zealand in New Zealand. He was handed a suspension for two matches was also docked 75% of his match fee.
2004: It might sound surprising but former India captain Rahul Dravid too was involved in an act of ball tampering. During a VB Series match against Zimbabwe in 2004, Dravid was caught on camera rubbing a half-eaten lozenge on the ball. As such he was fined 50 % of his match fees.
2010: Another Pakistani cricketer was charged with ball tampering. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi committed one of the oddest, stupidest acts on a cricket field when he bit the ball to help his bowlers extract reverse swing. Afridi’s defence was comical: he said he was trying to smell the ball. He was found guilty of ball-tampering and handed a two-match ban.
England pacers James Anderson and Stuart Broad, who are currently playing in the second test match against India at Vizag wwere accused of ball tampering during a test match against South Africa in Cape Town. Both were seen tampering the ball by rubbing it on the ground with their boot spikes but escaped punishment as the hosts did not make any official complaint.