JOHANNESBURG: Bodyline, underarm bowling, match fixing and more.Australia’s ball-tampering woes are the latest in a long line of scandalsto have hit the world of cricket.
Here, AFP Sport looks at six of the biggest scandals in cricket:
*England’s ‘bodyline’ series*
England’s 1932/3 tour of Australia was notable for skipper DouglasJardine’s tactic of ‘fast leg theory bowling’. Bowlers pitched short ballson leg stump that reared into the body of where an orthodox batsman wouldbe standing after taking his guard. With fast bowler Harold Larwood to thefore, the “bodyline” plan was employed in a bid to dent the dominance ofthe brilliant Don Bradman through physical intimidation. But it led to adiplomatic incident between the two countries over allegations ofunsporting tactic. Either way it worked, with England winning the Ashes4-1, but such was the uproar, Nottinghamshire miner Larwood never playedanother Test in a bitter and premature end to his international career.
*Hansie Cronje’s match fixing*
Late South African captain Hansie Cronje was banned for life after headmitted fixing his own team’s one-day internationals against India in2000. Cronje, who died aged 32 in a plane crash in 2002, had initiallydenied all allegations of wrong-doing, but eventually came clean aftermounting evidence that included former teammates testifying that they hadreceived cash offers from the Proteas skipper to throw matches.
*Salim Malik’s match fixing*
Pakistan skipper Salim Malik also picked up a life ban in 2000 on therecommendation of the Qayyum enquiry into match fixing in the 1990s thatrocked Pakistan. Ex-captain Rashid Latif was the first cricketer to accuseMalik of match-fixing during Pakistan’s tour to South Africa and Zimbabwein 1995.
*Trevor Chappell’s underarm ball*
Trevor Chappell was vilified after one of the most notorious unsportingacts of all time — bowling underarm on the final ball of an ODI to helpAustralia beat New Zealand in Melbourne in 1981.
It won them the match, but lost him all respect, despite Chappell acting onthe orders of his older brother and then captain, Greg. Chappell said hehad been seen as the most despised man in Australian cricket until thelatest scandal involving current skipper Steve Smith.
*Pakistani spot-fixing*
Salman Butt was captain of Pakistan when fast bowlers Mohammad Asif andMohammad Amir delivered deliberate no-balls during a Test match againstEngland at Lord’s in August 2010. The trio admitted to working with abookmaker and served time in prison in England before being suspended for aminimum five years by the International Cricket Council. The ban ended onSeptember 1, 2015.
*Pakistan forfeit England Test*
Maybe the most infamous ball-tampering controversy in recent memory endedwith Pakistan forfeiting their Test against England at The Oval in 2006.Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove gave England five penalty runsafter ruling that Pakistan had tampered with the ball, leaving the touristsincensed. Inzamam ul-Haq’s side refused to take the field after the teabreak in protest, and the umpires awarded the match to England, the firstforfeiture in Test history. Pakistan were later cleared of ball-tamperingby the ICC, with the governing body also controversially changing theresult of the match to a draw. – APP/AFP