3 Indian cricketers who faced ball-tampering troubles
Like most other sports, cricket too has been marred by controversies. Indian cricket, in particular, has found itself at the centre of many.
One such incident happened at the beginning of the 21st century. Match-fixing allegations were labelled at some of the senior players in the team, thereby tarnishing the image of the 'gentleman's game'.
It happened again when the cash-rich IPL grabbed headlines for the wrong reasons in 2013. Yet again, many famous names were found involved in a spot-fixing scandal and were banned for a considerable period of time.
While match-fixing has led to many controversies in the sport's history, there have also been other issues that have plagued cricket in general and India in particular. Ball-tampering is one of them.
To that end, here are three Indian cricketers who faced ball-tampering issues.
#1. Sachin Tendulkar
Undoubtedly one of the greatest batters of all time, Sachin Tendulkar is revered by most cricket fans across the globe. With over 33000 runs and 100 centuries in international cricket, the 'Little Master' is often hailed as a model ambassador for the 'gentleman's game'.
However, back in 2001 during India's tour of South Africa, Tendulkar found himself facing a rare allegation of tampering with the ball. It happened during the second Test of the series at Port Elizabeth. As per the television footage, the star batter was seen scratching the surface of the ball and thereby breaking the rules of the ICC.
Putting out an old piece, relevant with the latest ball tampering controversy - When Tendulkar Was ‘BANNED’ For Ball Tampering - Flashback To India’s Mo... youtu.be/mPkg4afRr8c via @YouTube
Match referee Mike Denness was quick to slap a suspension on Tendulkar along with five other players that also included Team India's skipper Sourav Ganguly. The Mumbai batter's suspension raised a massive furore in India, with many calling Denness a racist.
The BCCI wrote to the ICC asking for the removal of Denness from the third Test, which the apex body didn't agree to. The two cricket boards, however, decided to go on with the third Test without Denness, with the ICC labelling it an unofficial match.
Fortunately for Tendulkar, the ban was eventually overturned, with the ICC proclaiming it to be an incident of cleaning the ball without the umpire's permission.
#2. Rahul Dravid
Another Indian cricketer known for his suave personality, Rahul Dravid also found himself caught in a ball-tampering saga in 2004.
During an ODI between India and Zimbabwe in Australia, Dravid was seen applying lozenge on the surface of the ball. Despite protests from him, captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright, match referee Clive Lloyd stood firm on his decision.
Watch the full incident here:
Lloyd opined that there was conclusive evidence to call Dravid's actions to be deliberate. 'The Wall' was charged with the offence and fined fifty percent of the match fee.
As per the former West Indies captain, Dravid could have suffered graver consequences had it not been for his unblemished record leading up to that point.
#3. Virat Kohli
Considered one of the best batters of the modern era, Virat Kohli has broken many records that once seemed impossible. With 43 centuries in ODIs, Kohli has the second-most tons in the format after Sachin Tendulkar (49).
Incidentally, the former Indian skipper too was unfortunate enough to have ball-tampering allegations labelled at him a few years back. The incident took place during the first Test between England and India in Rajkot.
It started with a British tabloid accusing Kohli of shining the ball with the residue of a sweetener in his mouth. According to the report, the right-handed batter could be seen putting his fingers in his mouth and shining the ball right after.
ICC says Faf du Plessis guilty of ball tampering using mints, Here is virat kohli Doing The Same. Why wasn't he punished? ICC = Big 3 https://t.co/6FSH9sjnQY
However, no formal complaint was lodged by the English team, thereby bringing the matter to rest. As per the official rules, a team has five days from the end of a Test match to file an official complaint against at the opposition.
With the match ending on November 13, England had until November 18 to lodge a complaint. And since they didn't pursue the matter any further, Kohli escaped a possible inquiry.