Ball Tampering in Cricket — Laws, Famous Incidents and Penalties
What ball tampering is in cricket, which alterations are illegal under Law 41, the most famous ball tampering scandals including Sandpapergate, and the penalties for offenders.
Ball tampering is the illegal alteration of a cricket ball's condition beyond what is permitted by the Laws. It is one of cricket's most serious offences — considered a form of cheating that undermines fair competition. Law 41.3 defines what is and is not permitted, and the ICC has strict codes of conduct for violations.
What Is and Is Not Permitted
Permitted: polishing the ball with sweat or saliva (the 2020 COVID-19 protocols banned saliva temporarily; ICC guidance reverted to allowing saliva after 2022); cleaning mud from the ball; drying the ball with a towel. Prohibited: roughening one side artificially (with fingernails, bottle caps, zippers, or foreign objects); applying substances to the ball (lip balm, sun cream, dirt); picking the seam to raise it artificially; using anything other than natural bodily fluids to polish.
Sandpapergate (2018)
The most notorious ball-tampering scandal in cricket history occurred during Australia's 2018 Test series in South Africa. Cameron Bancroft was filmed on TV cameras using a piece of yellow sandpaper to rough the ball. The Australian team leadership — captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner — were found to have sanctioned the plan. Bancroft received a 9-month Cricket Australia ban; Smith and Warner received 12-month bans and lost their leadership positions. The scandal — dubbed 'Sandpapergate' — caused an enormous reputational crisis for Australian cricket.
Other Famous Incidents
Pakistan vs England, 2010: Pakistan was found to have engaged in spot-fixing, though ball tampering was a separate allegation in the 2006 Oval Test where umpires changed the ball without formal ball-tampering charges. England vs Pakistan, 2006 (The Oval): Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove awarded 5 penalty runs for ball tampering — Pakistan refused to take the field in protest and were controversially awarded a forfeit. The ICC later cleared Pakistan of deliberate tampering but the incident remained controversial.
Penalties
ICC Code of Conduct penalties for ball tampering range from: Level 1 (minor) — formal warning or 25% of match fee; Level 2 — 50-100% of match fee; Level 3 — 4-12 Test match suspension; Level 4 — long-term ban. The umpires may award 5 penalty runs to the batting side immediately upon detecting tampering. The ball is also replaced with one of similar wear.
Frequently asked questions
Is applying lip balm to the ball illegal?
Yes — applying any external substance (including lip balm, sun cream, or any artificial product) to the ball is illegal under Law 41.3.
Can fielders rub the ball on the ground to rough it?
No — deliberately roughening the ball against the ground, a player's clothing, or any foreign object is illegal tampering. Only natural wear from normal play is permitted.
Who can be penalised for ball tampering — just the player or the whole team?
Both the individual player and the captain can face charges — the captain for allowing or failing to prevent the tampering. In Sandpapergate, both the player (Bancroft) and the leadership (Smith, Warner) were punished.