Ball Tampering episode : A desperate attempt by PCB to gain some attention for PSL?

[Bhaijaan]

There is no real hard evidence of ball tampering.

The players will walk away with their dignitary intact.

The unknown umpire will take the blame and the world will move on.

But in all this, PCB managed some global attention for PSL which has been completely sidelined this year. It’s shameful they have had to stoop this low to get attention instead of simply doing their work.

 

[Josh]

There is no real hard evidence of ball tampering.

The players will walk away with their dignitary intact.

The unknown umpire will take the blame and the world will move on.

But in all this, PCB managed some global attention for PSL which has been completely sidelined this year. It’s shameful they have had to stoop this low to get attention instead of simply doing their work.

If you are sad because of the ball tempering incident or unhappy with the PCB, you can change your country. India has sizeable shia population.

 

[Josh]

On topic, I also think there might be some element of truth to your assertions. Why does one need to temper balls in league matches of a franchise competition. This wasn't like an international match or a do or die match.

 

[Sachin fan]

On topic, I also think there might be some element of truth to your assertions. Why does one need to temper balls in league matches of a franchise competition. This wasn't like an international match or a do or die match.

And the players are all ok with being tainted and accused of course. Particularly all the Saya corp players like Fakhar, Rauf and Afridi, who are anti PCB?

 

[msb314]

Fakhar zaman being a former navy officer and at the tail end of his career should know better then to be involved in ball tampering…

Needs to be booted out ASAP

@Savak @RedwoodOriginal @Rana

 

[Local.Dada]

This would be the worst publicity stunt in history then.

Ball tampering, fixing type stuff doesn’t bring audience, they turn off the ones watching too because people want to see a legitimate and good contest. Not something won by illegal or nefarious means.

 

[usman.sandhu]

I certainly hope for a life ban for Shaheen and Haris Rauf - two international embarrassments who cannot be dropped because of their connections..

Pathetic cricketers, now resorting to cheap tactics apparently...

 

[BouncerGuy]

LOL... PCB is attempting to gain attention by destroying its biggest world-renowned brand, PSL???

What kind of logic is this????

First, there needs to be proof that ball tampering happened, and if it is true, then the players should be banned and fined... Simple. Doesn't matter if it is foujo or premium phaaast bowler... I don't care. Just kick them out

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Fakhar zaman being a former navy officer and at the tail end of his career should know better then to be involved in ball tampering…

Needs to be booted out ASAP

@Savak @RedwoodOriginal @Rana

Nah it isn't that big of a deal. It's an offence for sure and he should be punished with a 2 match ban and some kind of fine. But he isn't the first guy to tamper the ball and certainly won't be the last.

 

[Bhaijaan]

What gave it away was how Ramiz Raja was allowed to freely talk about it in post match and how quickly PCB handed out fines and all.

 

[Sachin fan]

What gave it away was how Ramiz Raja was allowed to freely talk about it in post match and how quickly PCB handed out fines and all.

You have still not answered why Afridi and Fakhar will go alone with it? Why would they be ok with their names tainted? Particularly since they are anti government

 

[Bhaijaan]

You have still not answered why Afridi and Fakhar will go alone with it? Why would they be ok with their names tainted? Particularly since they are anti government

No name tainted.
They're already saying players lacked awareness and that its soft tampering. All hell broke loose when Aussies did it but this incident has been quietly brushed aside as an innocent mistake or a probable misunderstanding. People noticed PSL. Objective achieved.

 

[Varun]

If the PCB was so innovative and competent, they wouldn't be at the tail end of the ranking table in most world events.

 

[Sachin fan]

No name tainted.
They're already saying players lacked awareness and that its soft tampering. All hell broke loose when Aussies did it but this incident has been quietly brushed aside as an innocent mistake or a probable misunderstanding. People noticed PSL. Objective achieved.

But Fakhar got banned for 2 games?

 

[BouncerGuy]

LOL... attention-seeking stunt while jeopardizing the name of the biggest brand of Pakistan? This makes no sense...

Lahore Qalandars were winning the game TBH.. 15 runs were needed and there was no such batter out there who would have found it easy to chase... this whole thing is Shaheen's fault

 

[Cricket Warrior]

'Let people scratch the ball': England cricketer calls to 'legalise' ball tampering

England cricketer Dawid Malan has sparked a fresh debate with a bold suggestion: allow a limited, controlled form of ball tampering in cricket.

His idea isn’t about breaking rules completely, but about tweaking them to make the game more balanced between bat and ball—especially in modern formats where batters dominate.

Speaking on BBC’s Strategic Timeout podcast, Malan pointed out that ball tampering has always existed in some form. He believes that instead of pretending it doesn’t happen, the sport should regulate it properly.

“Historically, over the game, people have been caught trying to tamper with the ball for years. You know it’s not a new thing. I actually think you should legalise it, like just let people scratch the ball," Malan said.

At the same time, he clarified that there should be limits, adding, “Obviously, do not bring things in from outside. But, it’s a skill in itself — to get the ball to reverse swing."

Malan’s main concern is how difficult it has become for bowlers, particularly in the final overs of a match. Reverse swing, once a key weapon, has become rare due to strict rules, frequent ball changes, and pitch conditions that favour batters.

He believes allowing slight, controlled alterations to the ball could bring reverse swing back into play. This, in turn, would make matches more competitive toward the end.

“I think it would make cricket a lot more bowler-friendly towards the end, if you can get the ball reversing," he explained.

“I think it would make games tighter towards the end, and it wouldn’t just be winning with six wickets in hand."

For Malan, this isn’t a wild idea but a practical adjustment to match how the game has evolved. With batters becoming more skilled and aggressive, bowlers need new ways to compete.

He summed it up by saying, “Batters are so skilled now, that if you can get any tactical advantage with the ball, shaping it a little bit, reverse swinging it, you want to do what you can to do that."

“If you can get the ball to move, it makes such a difference at the death — the hardest overs to bowl," he said.

'Let people scratch the ball': England cricketer calls to 'legalise' ball tampering

Dawid Malan has proposed legalising limited, controlled ball tampering to restore balance in cricket. He argues it already happens and should be regulated, not ignored. Malan believes allowing minor changes could revive reverse swing and help bowlers, especially in death overs. With batters...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

'Let people scratch the ball': England cricketer calls to 'legalise' ball tampering

England cricketer Dawid Malan has sparked a fresh debate with a bold suggestion: allow a limited, controlled form of ball tampering in cricket.

His idea isn’t about breaking rules completely, but about tweaking them to make the game more balanced between bat and ball—especially in modern formats where batters dominate.

Speaking on BBC’s Strategic Timeout podcast, Malan pointed out that ball tampering has always existed in some form. He believes that instead of pretending it doesn’t happen, the sport should regulate it properly.

“Historically, over the game, people have been caught trying to tamper with the ball for years. You know it’s not a new thing. I actually think you should legalise it, like just let people scratch the ball," Malan said.

At the same time, he clarified that there should be limits, adding, “Obviously, do not bring things in from outside. But, it’s a skill in itself — to get the ball to reverse swing."

Malan’s main concern is how difficult it has become for bowlers, particularly in the final overs of a match. Reverse swing, once a key weapon, has become rare due to strict rules, frequent ball changes, and pitch conditions that favour batters.

He believes allowing slight, controlled alterations to the ball could bring reverse swing back into play. This, in turn, would make matches more competitive toward the end.

“I think it would make cricket a lot more bowler-friendly towards the end, if you can get the ball reversing," he explained.

“I think it would make games tighter towards the end, and it wouldn’t just be winning with six wickets in hand."

For Malan, this isn’t a wild idea but a practical adjustment to match how the game has evolved. With batters becoming more skilled and aggressive, bowlers need new ways to compete.

He summed it up by saying, “Batters are so skilled now, that if you can get any tactical advantage with the ball, shaping it a little bit, reverse swinging it, you want to do what you can to do that."

“If you can get the ball to move, it makes such a difference at the death — the hardest overs to bowl," he said.

'Let people scratch the ball': England cricketer calls to 'legalise' ball tampering

Dawid Malan has proposed legalising limited, controlled ball tampering to restore balance in cricket. He argues it already happens and should be regulated, not ignored. Malan believes allowing minor changes could revive reverse swing and help bowlers, especially in death overs. With batters...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[charlie007]

View attachment 163528

What next: make bribery legal because it helps move things faster and gets work done in the government which would otherwise sit there for months or years making people suffer in wait?
Majority of people are taking bribes anyway!

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

What next: make bribery legal because it helps move things faster and gets work done in the government which would otherwise sit there for months or years making people suffer in wait?
Majority of people are taking bribes anyway!

Cricket has become too one-sided and dominated by batsmen. I want to see reverse swing back in the game. Personally, I don’t think ball-tampering is as big a crime as its sometimes made out to be. I used to be anti-tampering too, but my view on this has changed.

For one, the laws around ball condition are strict on paper, but in practice enforcement is reactive rather than constant. Umpires act when something looks unusual or is brought to their attention, not by monitoring every interaction with the ball. That means subtle actions can go unnoticed, while the more visible ones get punished - creating a grey area where similar acts are treated differently depending on whether they’re caught.

I;m not comfortable with a system where punishment effectively comes down to how well something is hidden.

I also don’t see how its comparable to the example you mentioned. I know this is an unpopular opinion and I’m in the minority, but I think the game should seriously consider legalizing certain forms of ball management - or at the very least, clearly defining what is permissible. Bowlers should have some legitimate way to influence the ball, just like batsmen benefit from flatter pitches, bigger bats and fielding restrictions.

 

[charlie007]

Cricket has become too one-sided and dominated by batsmen. I want to see reverse swing back in the game. Personally, I don’t think ball-tampering is as big a crime as its sometimes made out to be. I used to be anti-tampering too, but my view on this has changed.

For one, the laws around ball condition are strict on paper, but in practice enforcement is reactive rather than constant. Umpires act when something looks unusual or is brought to their attention, not by monitoring every interaction with the ball. That means subtle actions can go unnoticed, while the more visible ones get punished - creating a grey area where similar acts are treated differently depending on whether they’re caught.

I;m not comfortable with a system where punishment effectively comes down to how well something is hidden.

I also don’t see how its comparable to the example you mentioned. I know this is an unpopular opinion and I’m in the minority, but I think the game should seriously consider legalizing certain forms of ball management - or at the very least, clearly defining what is permissible. Bowlers should have some legitimate way to influence the ball, just like batsmen benefit from flatter pitches, bigger bats and fielding restrictions.

I hear you! And I feel that too sometimes seeing how batsman oriented the game has become, but I don’t want to hand that control over to the players because then they WILL take it to the extremes. Perhaps a better way could be giving an option to introduce used balls after a certain number of overs. ICC will control the condition of the ball rather than players. Or use the same ball throughout instead of two new balls as they used to do before.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I hear you! And I feel that too sometimes seeing how batsman oriented the game has become, but I don’t want to hand that control over to the players because then they WILL take it to the extremes. Perhaps a better way could be giving an option to introduce used balls after a certain number of overs. ICC will control the condition of the ball rather than players. Or use the same ball throughout instead of two new balls as they used to do before.

Like I said, I realize that this may seem like an extreme view but I think scratching should be allowed in some form. I obviously still would not support the use of foreign substances/objects.

 

[charlie007]

Like I said, I realize that this may seem like an extreme view but I think scratching should be allowed in some form. I obviously still would not support the use of foreign substances/objects.

I know what you’re saying. There’s a governance issue there. To what extent should it be allowed? Peel off all the paint from one side? Make dents with nails? Pick up seam? Rub the ball hard against the edge of the boundary boards, or use teeth? Umpires will continuously have to monitor the ball, frankly it could be every ball even. As it is there’s an issue with time, and it becomes impractical to enforce governance of the game if this is allowed.

 

[BouncerGuy]

NO PERSONAL REMAKRS PLEASE

 

[Bhaijaan]

As a Pakistani, i am sorry to say this whole season we have done little to improve our brand but needlessly tried to gain attention, many times by only embarrassing ourselves.

Every press conference, every interview has had questions regarding IPL. Its fast becoming a joke.

 

[RyanRyan10]

As a Pakistani, i am sorry to say this whole season we have done little to improve our brand but needlessly tried to gain attention, many times by only embarrassing ourselves.

Every press conference, every interview has had questions regarding IPL. Its fast becoming a joke.

Youngsters have done well. You should protect them from propaganda of Indian fans and Babar-Rizwan fans.

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

As a Pakistani, i am sorry to say this whole season we have done little to improve our brand but needlessly tried to gain attention, many times by only embarrassing ourselves.

Every press conference, every interview has had questions regarding IPL. Its fast becoming a joke.

When did this happen? Did you magically become taller and stronger overnight