Ball Tampering in Cricket — Rules, Penalties & Sandpapergate
Ball tampering is the illegal alteration of a cricket ball's surface to gain an unfair advantage. Learn what counts as tampering, the penalties, and the famous 2018 Sandpapergate scandal.
Ball tampering refers to any illegal action taken by the fielding team to artificially alter the condition of the cricket ball. A cricket ball naturally changes over the course of an innings — one side becomes worn while bowlers keep the other side shiny using sweat and polish. Teams exploit this asymmetry for reverse swing. Tampering involves speeding up or exaggerating this process using unauthorized tools or substances.
What Is and Isn't Allowed
| Action | Legal? |
|---|---|
| Polishing one side of the ball with sweat or saliva (pre-COVID) | Legal (saliva now banned by ICC) |
| Rubbing the ball on the ground to rough it up | Illegal — tampering |
| Using a fingernail or bottle cap to scratch the surface | Illegal — tampering |
| Using foreign substances (wax, lip balm, vaseline, sunscreen) | Illegal — tampering |
| Using sandpaper or abrasives on the ball | Illegal — serious tampering |
| Picking at the seam beyond normal wear | Illegal — tampering |
| Keeping the ball dry to preserve the shine on one side | Legal |
Penalties for Ball Tampering
- 5 penalty runs are awarded to the batting side
- The ball may be replaced with an equivalent-condition ball chosen by the batting team
- The fielding team may be officially warned by the umpire
- ICC match referees can impose additional sanctions: suspension, fines (% of match fee), and points deductions
- In severe cases, players can be banned from international cricket
The 2018 Sandpapergate Scandal
In March 2018, during the Cape Town Test between Australia and South Africa, Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft was caught on camera using a piece of yellow sandpaper to rough up one side of the ball. The incident was immediately labelled 'Sandpapergate' and revealed to have been a team-planned strategy. Captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner admitted to their roles in the plot. Cricket Australia's investigation resulted in: Smith and Warner each banned from international and domestic cricket for 12 months, Bancroft banned for 9 months, and Smith and Warner stripped of their leadership roles permanently for a period.
Why Teams Tamper — The Reverse Swing Motive
The primary motive for ball tampering is to engineer reverse swing earlier in an innings. Reverse swing occurs when a worn, dry ball swings the opposite way to conventional swing — it is lethal to batters who expect inswing but get outswing. Normally, reverse swing happens naturally after 40–50 overs. Tampering attempts to produce the same effect in 20–25 overs, giving the fielding team a significant unfair advantage.
Frequently asked questions
Is using sunscreen on the ball legal?
No. Foreign substances on the ball — including sunscreen, lip balm, vaseline, or any cream — are illegal. Players must only use sweat to maintain the shine. The use of saliva was historically permitted but was banned by the ICC in 2020 (initially due to COVID-19 and later made permanent).
Was saliva always banned from cricket?
No. Before 2020, using saliva to shine the ball was traditional and perfectly legal. The ICC banned it during the COVID-19 pandemic as a health precaution and subsequently made the ban permanent in 2022, substituting sweat as the only permitted substance.
Can spectators report ball tampering?
No — only the on-field umpires, the third umpire watching broadcast cameras, and the match referee can trigger a ball tampering investigation. However, TV broadcasters have inadvertently caught several tampering incidents that umpires then acted upon.