Should the Ball Tampering Law be Scrapped ?

[Sanz]

Bob Woolmer, the Pakistan coach, has called for the abolition of Law 42.3, which governs the condition of the ball and which was the centre of the controversy surrounding the forfeiture of the Oval Test.

"The whole irony and tragedy of this particular story is law 42.3," he told The Guardian newspaper. "But law 42.3 is an ***. It was brought in because of ball-tampering with razor blades and bottle tops and everything else in the past, but that's been shoved out of the game now. I'd scrub out the law completely."

For rest of the story :- http://www.icc-cricket.com/engvpak/content/story/257514.html

What do you all think ?

 

[Slow Love™]

I vote no. Well, sort of. I don't think the law is exactly fine as it stands today, given recent events.

Don't allow tampering of the ball, and penalize a player if they're caught doing it (on the field in that sense is fine by me, as long as it's been seen, or there is an explainable reason the team could be blamed, such as Bucknor's checks for mints/lollies etc). But if you are concerned about the ball's condition upon inspection, and have no evidence of a player actually tampering in such a way, just change the ball. I don't think there are any disastrous ramifications for such a policy.

 

[SJS]

I dont think ball tampering should be allowed But something needs to be done anyway to make the balance a bit lee in favour of bowlers. I have often thought of a reduction in the number of overs by which a new ball may be taken. This would allow a ball that will swing again be available. Those who have spinners dont have to take it early.

I would go to 60 overs or so.

 

[Fusion]

Sanz, I think there should've been a fourth option: "Don't scrap the law, but make some modifications". I like Slow Love's idea. Penalize the player if caught cheating, but the umpire must have solid proof. If they don't have proof but they suspect tampering, simply allow them to change the ball without any penalty awarded.

 

[SJS]

Sanz, I think there should've been a fourth option: "Don't scrap the law, but make some modifications". I like Slow Love's idea. Penalize the player if caught cheating, but the umpire must have solid proof. If they don't have proof but they suspect tampering, simply allow them to change the ball without any penalty awarded.

I think this modification/clarification will come now.

 

[Sanz]

Sanz, I think there should've been a fourth option: "Don't scrap the law, but make some modifications". I like Slow Love's idea. Penalize the player if caught cheating, but the umpire must have solid proof. If they don't have proof but they suspect tampering, simply allow them to change the ball without any penalty awarded.

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I cant edit the poll, so I would try to request if any of the available mods/admins can make that change for me.


Mods/Admins, can you please add 4th option to the poll :-

4. "Don't scrap the law, but make some modifications"

 

[Anil]

I vote no. Well, sort of. I don't think the law is exactly fine as it stands today, given recent events.

Don't allow tampering of the ball, and penalize a player if they're caught doing it (on the field in that sense is fine by me, as long as it's been seen, or there is an explainable reason the team could be blamed, such as Bucknor's checks for mints/lollies etc). But if you are concerned about the ball's condition upon inspection, and have no evidence of a player actually tampering in such a way, just change the ball. I don't think there are any disastrous ramifications for such a policy.

exactly...changing the ball if it is not worthy to be played with should be fine...don't just make an assumption that the player/team has tampered with the ball and penalize them...

 

[FRAZ]

I guess introducing tape ball instead of cricket ball will be of a great effect ......... And if people will start losing again then the tape temper issue will be raised and once they will learn that issue then the things are gonna settle down for a while and again a lice will appear and raise the tape ball controversy and then again people will think about getting to the rubber wind ball and so on .....

 

[silentstriker]

I want to see more rules go in the favor of bowlers.

 

[BoyBrumby]

The law's a bit flabby for mine. 42.3 (a) allows polishing the ball without the use of an artificial agent and players regularly use spit (natural occuring & all) on the ball. Mints & lollies are frowned upon tho, but is it, strictly speaking, forbidden to suck on one when playing? Does one's mint-enthused saliva constitute an artificial agent?

I voted no, BTW, because one of the great strengths of cricket is that it allows the ageing of the match ball & hence differing types of bowler having greater or lesser influences in the course of the game. In other sports I watch (Football & Rugby mainly) the ball has to remain in pristine condition or it would be immediately changed. Indeed, the concept of a single match ball is very outdated in itself, I imagine about half a dozen are used in the course of a game.

If we allowed players to openly "work" the ball I think we'd lose something.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

exactly...changing the ball if it is not worthy to be played with should be fine...don't just make an assumption that the player/team has tampered with the ball and penalize them...

I don't see that solving anything. There was nothing in this case to suggest that the ball wasn't "worthy", there were just doubts as to whether the condition of the ball had been reached naturally or through tampering.

 

[Sanz]

It would also be interesting to know what guys like Jack(Vic), who play cricket @ international level, think about the Ball Tampering laws.

 

[Dasa]

I voted yes, but I'm more in agreement with Slow Love™ et al on the issue.

 

[Anil]

I don't see that solving anything. There was nothing in this case to suggest that the ball wasn't "worthy", there were just doubts as to whether the condition of the ball had been reached naturally or through tampering.

if that's the case, the fielding team shouldn't be penalized based on an assumption, the umpires shouldn't have the power to do that...thought i made that clear....

 

[vic_orthdox]

It would also be interesting to know what guys like Jack(Vic), who play cricket @ international level, think about the Ball Tampering laws.

In Australia, they've taken a real hardline stance of ball tampering, where umpires are told to warn players if they throw the ball into the ground too often (e.g. if you use a bounce throw over a distance of less than 50 metres), and you're not allowed to "load" one side of the ball.

Loading (where you just slap on a bucketload of saliva into the ball) does tend to produce reverse swing, but for not nearly as long a time as the usual method. This is getting the whole ball as dry as possible, while still retaining a shiny side.

I played one game where I was standing at mid-off after a fast bowler hit a batsman, and there was a pause in the game. The bowler was at the top of his mark, and joked to me "I can't believe the umpire hasn't taken the ball off me!" as he proceeded to turn his back to the play and scratch the buggery out of the ball with his fingernails.

I don't know if I agree with SJS - often the best reverse swing comes after 60 overs mark, it's all dependant on the pitch and the care taken with the ball.

In all, I think that the laws are fine, but the enforcement of them is overzealous and too batsmen orientated.

 

[luffy]

Of Coarse not!! If they scraped that law everyone would be ball tampering.

 

[Dasa]

Of Coarse not!! If they scraped that law everyone would be ball tampering.

A few cricketers have suggested that already happens.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I cant edit the poll, so I would try to request if any of the available mods/admins can make that change for me.


Mods/Admins, can you please add 4th option to the poll :-

4. "Don't scrap the law, but make some modifications"

Sanz, I'm pretty sure that Mods can't alter a poll after it's been established. Well, I don't know how to anyways. Sorry mate.

 

[pasag]

"Ball-tampering is rife in cricket, and allowing limited forms of it could enhance the game, writes Darren Berry"

 

[James]

Thanks for the suggestion. I guess I cant edit the poll, so I would try to request if any of the available mods/admins can make that change for me.


Mods/Admins, can you please add 4th option to the poll :-

4. "Don't scrap the law, but make some modifications"

Done