Major ball-tampering incidents in cricket history listed: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid to ‘Sandpaper Gate’

November 8, 2026

Major ball-tampering incidents in cricket history listed: Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid to ‘Sandpaper Gate’ originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Cricket’s long and messy history with ball tampering includes superstars, including Rahul Dravid and Steve Smith.
Punishments have ranged from small fines and warnings to long bans and resignations.
Cricket News takes a look at some of the biggest ball-tampering incidents over the decades.

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The dark arts of cricket: Complete list of ball-tampering incidents, penalties, and bans

Cricket has seen ball-tampering rows involving everyone from Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to the Australian trio at the centre of ‘Sandpaper Gate’, and the sport still argues over where trickery ends, and cheating begins.

Ball tampering means any deliberate action that changes the physical condition of the match ball, usually to help the bowlers get more swing, seam movement or reverse swing than the ball would offer naturally.

The rule is laid out in Law 41.3 of the Laws of Cricket, and the ICC repeats it in clause 41.3 of its playing conditions. It makes it an offence for any player to do something that alters the condition of the ball.

A player may polish the ball as long as no artificial substance is used, dry it with a towel when it is wet, and remove mud from it under the umpires’ supervision. Scratching the surface, lifting the seam with a fingernail, using a bottle top, a zip or sandpaper, and applying sweets, lip balm or sugary saliva are all treated as tampering.

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When the umpires decide that a ball has been unfairly changed, they can award five penalty runs to the batting side, and the fielding side’s ball is then replaced with another one chosen by the batters. The player involved can also be charged under the ICC Code of Conduct, in which changing the condition of the ball is covered by Article 2.2.9.

The offence was a Level 2 matter for many years, but after the Cape Town scandal in 2018 the ICC raised it to Level 3, which can bring a ban of up to six Tests or 12 ODIs.

The list below follows the main cases in the order in which they happened, with the details of each incident and the punishment, if there was one. Some of these stories were reported at the time, and others emerged only after the players retired, so the outcomes differ widely.

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John Lever (1977): Vaseline controversy during the Chennai Test, India vs England

The first widely known ball-tampering row came during England’s tour of India in 1976-77. India’s captain Bishan Singh Bedi complained that Lever was using Vaseline to keep one side of the ball shiny, after strips of gauze smeared with petroleum jelly were spotted on the bowler’s forehead. Lever said the strips were there to stop sweat from running into his eyes, and although tests reportedly found a greasy substance on the ball, no charges were brought against him.

Imran Khan (1981): Bottle-top admission over a Sussex vs Hampshire county match

Imran, one of the pioneers of reverse swing, was often accused of doctoring the ball, but he was never sanctioned for it. In a 1994 biography, he admitted that he had once asked the twelfth man for a bottle top to roughen the ball in a county game between Sussex and Hampshire in 1981, after it had stopped moving. He later said that he had told the story only to explain which methods were acceptable and which were not, yet it led to a long legal fight with Ian Botham and Allan Lamb.

Imran Khan

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Chris Pringle (1990): Bottle cap used in the Faisalabad Test, New Zealand vs Pakistan

New Zealand’s players were convinced that Pakistan’s bowlers were getting help from the ball, and Pringle responded by cutting a bottle top into quarters and hiding it in his pocket before the third Test. He took 11 wickets in the match, including 7 for 52 in the first innings, and Pakistan collapsed to 102 all out. No action was taken at the time, and Pringle and captain Martin Crowe admitted what had happened only after they had retired.

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Michael Atherton (1994): The ‘dirt in the pocket’ affair at Lord’s, England vs South Africa

England captain Atherton was caught by the cameras taking something from his pocket and rubbing it on the ball during the first Test against South Africa. He explained that it was dirt he kept to dry his hands, but he was fined £2,000, mainly because he had not told match referee Peter Burge about it when asked. He kept the captaincy, though the press pursued him for the rest of the series.

Waqar Younis and Azhar Mahmood (2000): First suspension for ball tampering, Pakistan vs South Africa in Colombo

Waqar was filmed lifting the seam with his fingernails during a triangular one-day series in Sri Lanka, and he became the first player to be suspended for ball tampering. Match referee John Reid gave him a one-match ban and a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee, while Azhar Mahmood was fined 30 per cent. The case showed that television footage could now be used to punish what had been suspected for years.

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Sachin Tendulkar (2001): The Port Elizabeth controversy, South Africa vs India

Match referee Mike Denness found Tendulkar guilty after footage showed him running a fingernail along the seam in the second Test. The batter was fined 75 per cent of his match fee and handed a one-Test ban that was suspended until the end of the year. Tendulkar insisted that he was only removing dirt from the ball. The decision led to anger in India, and the BCCI threatened to take the matter further. The ICC later said that he was not guilty of ball tampering, adding that cleaning the ball without telling the umpires was still an offence but a lesser one.

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Shoaib Akhtar (2002): Seam-lifting warning in Harare, Zimbabwe vs Pakistan

Cameras caught Shoaib scratching the surface and lifting the seam during the first Test. Match referee Clive Lloyd reprimanded him and warned him about his future conduct, and no suspension was imposed.

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Shoaib Akhtar (2003): Two-match ban in Dambulla, Pakistan vs New Zealand

Shoaib was in trouble again a year later, when he was filmed running his thumb along the seam and picking at the quarter-seams during the Bank Alfalah Cup. This time the punishment was much heavier, as referee Gundappa Viswanath banned him for two ODIs and docked 75 per cent of his match fee.

Rahul Dravid (2004): Cough lozenge incident at the Gabba, India vs Zimbabwe

Dravid was filmed applying saliva from a cough lozenge to the shiny side of the ball during the VB Series match in Brisbane. India described it as an innocent mistake, yet Clive Lloyd found him guilty of breaching Clause 2.10 of the ICC Code and fined him 50 per cent of his match fee.

Marcus Trescothick (2005): Murray Mints and the Ashes confession, England vs Australia

England used sweets to build up sugary saliva and preserve the shine on the ball in the 2005 Ashes. The tactic escaped punishment at the time, and Trescothick revealed it in his 2008 autobiography.

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Pakistan and Inzamam-ul-Haq (2006): The Oval forfeit, England vs Pakistan

Umpires Darrell Hair and Billy Doctrove ruled that the ball had been tampered with and awarded England five penalty runs. Pakistan refused to return to the field after tea in protest, and the umpires declared the match forfeited, the first such result in Test history. Inzamam was later cleared of ball tampering by ICC adjudicator Ranjan Madugalle but was banned for four ODIs for bringing the game into disrepute.

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Shahid Afridi (2010): Biting the ball in Perth, Australia vs Pakistan

Afridi was seen on camera biting the ball along the seam while captaining Pakistan in the fifth ODI. He pleaded guilty and was banned for two Twenty20 Internationals by Madugalle.

Faf du Plessis (2013): ‘Zippergate’ in Dubai, Pakistan vs South Africa

Du Plessis was caught rubbing the ball against the zip of his trousers in the second Test. Pakistan were awarded five penalty runs, the ball was changed. The South African pleaded guilty and was fined 50 per cent of his match fee.

Vernon Philander (2014): Scratching the ball in Galle, Sri Lanka vs South Africa

Footage showed Philander using his thumb and fingers to scratch the ball’s surface and seam in the first Test. Match referee Jeff Crowe found him guilty of a Level 2 breach and fined him 75 per cent of his match fee.

Faf du Plessis (2016): ‘Mintgate’ in Hobart, Australia vs South Africa

Du Plessis was seen sucking on a mint and then polishing the ball with the sugary saliva during the second Test. Referee Andy Pycroft found him guilty of a Level 2 breach and fined him his entire match fee, and three demerit points were added to his record.

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Dasun Shanaka (2017): Seam-picking in Nagpur, India vs Sri Lanka

Cameras showed Shanaka picking at the seam during his eighth over in the first Test. He was fined 75 per cent of his match fee and given three demerit points after being found guilty of a Level 2 breach.

Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith and David Warner (2018): Sandpaper Gate in Cape Town, South Africa vs Australia

Bancroft was seen on camera rubbing the ball with yellow sandpaper in the third Test, and it later emerged that Warner had planned the act and that captain Smith knew about it. The ICC suspended Smith for a Test and fined Bancroft 75 per cent of his match fee with three demerit points, but Cricket Australia went much further, banning Smith and Warner for 12 months and Bancroft for nine. Coach Darren Lehmann also resigned, and the scandal was the main reason why the ICC made ball tampering a Level 3 offence.

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Dinesh Chandimal (2018): Sweet and saliva row in St Lucia, West Indies vs Sri Lanka

Chandimal was charged after TV footage suggested that he had applied saliva mixed with a sweet to the ball during the second Test. Sri Lanka held up the start of play for two hours in protest, and the ICC separately charged the captain, the coach and the manager. Chandimal was fined 100 per cent of his match fee and given two suspension points, which meant a one-Test ban. His appeal was dismissed by the ICC’s judicial commissioner.

Nicholas Pooran (2019): Thumbnail scratch in Lucknow, India-hosted ODI, West Indies vs Afghanistan

Pooran was filmed scratching the ball with his thumbnail in the third ODI. He admitted to a Level 3 breach and was banned for four T20Is with five demerit points, and he later apologised publicly and said that it would not happen again.

Mohammad Irfan Jr (2025): Five-match ban in Victoria Premier Cricket

The tall Pakistani fast bowler was suspended for five matches by Cricket Australia after officials accused him of deliberately altering the ball during a Victoria Premier Cricket fixture. The case showed that the issue is not limited to international cricket.

Fakhar Zaman (2026): PSL penalty runs and a two-match ban, Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings

The latest notable case came in the Pakistan Super League on 29 March 2026, when Karachi Kings needed 14 runs from the final over at the Gaddafi Stadium. Zaman, captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf were seen discussing the ball, and the umpires awarded five penalty runs to Karachi and replaced the ball. Karachi went on to win by four wickets. Zaman denied the charge, but match referee Roshan Mahanama found him guilty of a Level 3 offence under Article 2.14 of the PSL code and banned him for two matches, the maximum penalty for a first such offence. An appeal was later rejected.

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Complete table of major ball-tampering incidents in cricket history

Year	Player(s) / Team	Match & Venue	Infraction / Method	Official Sanction / Outcome
1977	John Lever (England)	3rd Test, India vs England, Chennai	Accused of using Vaseline-covered gauze to keep one side of the ball shiny	No charges brought; Lever said the gauze was for sweat
1981	Imran Khan (Sussex)	Sussex vs Hampshire, county match	Used a bottle top to roughen the ball (admitted in 1994)	No action taken
1990	Chris Pringle (New Zealand)	3rd Test, Pakistan vs New Zealand, Faisalabad	Used a concealed bottle cap to gouge one side of the ball	No action at the time; Pringle and Martin Crowe admitted it years later
1994	Michael Atherton (England)	1st Test, England vs South Africa, Lord’s	Rubbed dirt from his pocket on the ball (“dirt in the pocket” affair)	Fined £2,000 for not disclosing the dirt to the match referee
2000	Waqar Younis, Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan)	Triangular ODI series, Pakistan vs South Africa, Colombo	Waqar filmed lifting the seam with his fingernails	Waqar banned for one match and fined 50% of match fee (first suspension for ball tampering); Azhar fined 30%
2001	Sachin Tendulkar (India)	2nd Test, South Africa vs India, Port Elizabeth	Accused of scuffing the seam with his fingernail	Fined 75% of match fee and given a one-Test suspended ban; ICC later said he was not guilty of ball tampering but had cleaned the ball without telling the umpires
2002	Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)	1st Test, Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, Harare	Scratched the surface and lifted the seam on camera	Reprimanded and warned by referee Clive Lloyd
2003	Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)	Bank Alfalah Cup, Pakistan vs New Zealand, Dambulla	Ran his thumb along the seam and picked the quarter-seams	Banned for two ODIs and fined 75% of match fee
2004	Rahul Dravid (India)	VB Series, India vs Zimbabwe, The Gabba, Brisbane	Rubbed saliva from a cough lozenge on the shiny side of the ball	Fined 50% of match fee for breaching ICC Code Clause 2.10
2005	Marcus Trescothick / England	Ashes series vs Australia	Used Murray Mints to produce sugary saliva and keep the shine	No sanction at the time; admitted in his 2008 autobiography
2006	Inzamam-ul-Haq / Pakistan	4th Test, England vs Pakistan, The Oval	Umpires ruled the ball had been tampered with; Pakistan refused to take the field after tea	Five penalty runs to England; match forfeited (first in Test history); Inzamam cleared of ball tampering but banned for four ODIs
2010	Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)	5th ODI, Australia vs Pakistan, Perth	Bit the ball along the seam while captaining the side	Banned for two T20Is after pleading guilty
2013	Faf du Plessis (South Africa)	2nd Test, Pakistan vs South Africa, Dubai	Rubbed the ball on the zip of his trousers (“Zippergate”)	Five penalty runs to Pakistan, ball changed; fined 50% of match fee
2014	Vernon Philander (South Africa)	1st Test, Sri Lanka vs South Africa, Galle	Scratched the surface and seam with thumb and fingers	Level 2 breach; fined 75% of match fee
2016	Faf du Plessis (South Africa)	2nd Test, Australia vs South Africa, Hobart	Polished the ball with saliva from a mint (“Mintgate”)	Level 2 breach; fined 100% of match fee and given three demerit points
2017	Dasun Shanaka (Sri Lanka)	1st Test, India vs Sri Lanka, Nagpur	Picked at the seam on camera	Level 2 breach; fined 75% of match fee and given three demerit points
2018	Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith, David Warner (Australia)	3rd Test, South Africa vs Australia, Cape Town	Bancroft used sandpaper to scuff the ball on Warner’s plan, with Smith’s knowledge (“Sandpaper Gate”)	ICC: Smith suspended for one Test, Bancroft fined 75% and given three demerit points; Cricket Australia: 12-month bans for Smith and Warner, nine months for Bancroft; coach Darren Lehmann resigned
2018	Dinesh Chandimal (Sri Lanka)	2nd Test, West Indies vs Sri Lanka, St Lucia	Applied saliva and sweet residue to the ball; Sri Lanka delayed play by two hours in protest	Fined 100% of match fee and given two suspension points (one-Test ban); appeal dismissed
2019	Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)	3rd ODI, Afghanistan vs West Indies, Lucknow	Scratched the ball with his thumbnail	Level 3 breach; four-match T20I ban and five demerit points
2025	Mohammad Irfan Jr (Pakistan)	Victoria Premier Cricket fixture, Australia	Accused of deliberately altering the condition of the ball	Suspended for five matches
2026	Fakhar Zaman (Pakistan / Lahore Qalandars)	PSL, Lahore Qalandars vs Karachi Kings, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore	Altered the ball before the final over of Karachi’s chase	Five penalty runs to Karachi, ball changed; Level 3 breach and a two-match PSL ban; appeal rejected

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