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[Sambo]

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/england/content/current/story/366150.html

heres a square up for the beijing thing danny. all i have to say

CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS
CHEATERS



On a more serious note. do you think this was cheating, good tactics or bending the rules. if you havent already seen what i think theres a problem

[stevie]

Well considering the aussies come out with all that crap on their lips and some of it's gone by the end of the session i'm wondering who else is suspicious.
That's the past," Clarke said in Brisbane. "Right now we're looking forward to playing Bangladesh in Darwin. In 15 months we'll get our chance to play England. It doesn't bother me at all right now."
It seems Clarke's not that bothered, it just goes to show the aussies can't stand being beaten.

[Howzat]

I dont think its really cheating... he only used his saliva (Which happened to have some sugar in it!)

[Sambo]

keeper i dont think they deliberately lick their lips to shine the ball. Its sun protection for crying out loud. And seeing people sweat it rubs off. And no we can lose. take a bloody joke.

Still it was a violation of the rules, im mean saurav ganuly got suspended for it

[Dobbs]

I can't believe you are still so sore about losing in 2005.... grow up and move on...

[art]

It's illegal, it's tampering with the ball, it's cheating.

But if you folks are happy with cheating then it's your call.

I like the grow up and move on bit, you obviously condone cheating.

[MD14]

It's illegal, it's tampering with the ball, it's cheating.

But if you folks are happy with cheating then it's your call.

I like the grow up and move on bit, you obviously condone cheating.

So are they going to ban mints on the cricket field? How about if a player sucks the mint before the start of the game, the same effect is achieved but how can it be prevented. Against the spirit of the game as it may be, and I believe that it is, unfortunately the spirit of the game amounts to very little in a tangible sense. I think that the England players played the laws and not the spirit of the game which makes them clean and very dirty at the same time.

Anyway, it's hardly red hot news, he used to drop them out of his pockets regularly in the field and you would have to be pretty naive not to realise what they were for

[Master Blaster]

I think this whole thing is blown out of proportion. I live in Aus and the Sports Section of online newspapers is full of whingers. Honestly bubble gum can have the same effect because it induces saliva as well. And we all see Mr. Ponting, Hayden, Clarke and all the other lot do the same thing. Im sure they are not trying to impress the ladies on the field by keeping their breath minty fresh. They use gum because it does the same. Induces saliva and also has sugar. Reverse Swing anyone?

[art]

It is the sugar in the lolly that does the trick when mixed with saliva. You of course generaly only put it on one side of the ball and then shine it. Keeps a rosy glow and a smooth surface going for a looong time. Now who was it who got cuaght with barley sugar in India?

[Dobbs]

If we start talking about the spirit of the game, lets change the topic to the Aus v India series in which some Australians caused much controvesy through blatant cheating. I can understand not walking from a nick. But some of the catches in that series... etc.

[stevie]

Symonds, Clarke, Ponting all come to mind in that seies.

[Tom]

I'm not sure how illegal this is, for example at tea I have a battenburg cake sometimes. Does the sugar on this help swing the ball for our bowlers, and if so is this ball tampering? How would you define what's ball tampering or not? I've taken mints or chewing gum onto the field before as it helps me concentrate, not anything to do with the ball swinging but as I occasional shine the ball have I been guilty of ball tampering?

It's impossible to monitor what is and what isn't illegal with this kind of tampering.

[Dobbs]

Using sweets to make your saliva more shiny is not illegal in my opinion.

Rubbing vaseline on your bald bonce and then using that to shine the ball, as someone I know does, is illegal.

[Sambo]

dobbs, we arent sore about the bloody loss. we hacked it and moved on. Secondly, we played within the laws of the game. Clarke, symonds and ponting all choose not to walk. That abides by the laws of the game. If you want to blame someone, blame the umpires ( no offense art) they made the decision. I mean, does vaughn walk, does bell walk, does pietersen walk? No they dont.

i believe the rule is, that lollies/gum/mints may be sucked if they are not deliberately used to ball tamper. Also it states that only, sweat and saliva may be used to polish the ball. He even said he did it on purpose.

[art]

Heck no offence taken, I just wish we would get the same 'allowances' as batsmen do. I mean to say how many play and misses are they allowed before someone appeals on a close one or an LBW?

Everyoine now sees that umpires get it wrong more often because of all the technology the good old commentators have to help them see what is happening.

Is it impossible to monitor that sort of tampering? Well the answer is no it is not as a matter of fact. The question becomes; What happens when you discover it? Well most times there are protestations of innocence.

Law 42.3 covers this pretty well.

In the middle of last season I did one day of a lower grade game. During the fifth over I watched the cover fielder wipe sunscreen from his face, carefully wipe it on one side of the ball and polish it vigorously. Two balls later he did the same thing. Hmmm. I called the captain over and the fielder and asked what was going on? They professed innocence for around 20 seconds then admitted that they were cheating. They had never seen me umpire before and were trying it on. So we found a ball in roughly the same condition and proceeded.

In higher echelon cricket it has become not that the umpires can or can't see it but whether or not the officials will back the umpires. Ask Hair about this. It has almost become a game of we dare you to report us because if you do the final arbiters in the whole scenario will not back the umpires, recent history has shown that and this has emboldened even the lowest grade teams to try strange things out in all countries.