ICC to review code of conduct, ball-tampering set to be bigger offence
Thu Mar 29, 2018 11:37:am Sports
4.5K By Obiaks Blog
The ICC will undertake a comprehensive review of its code of conduct following recent poor behaviour from players, which culminated in the ball-tampering scandal in the Cape Town Test between South Africa and Australia. Ball tampering, currently a level 2 offence, will most certainly be looked at more seriously in the new code of conduct. The review will seek to clearly define what the spirit of the game is, identify what acceptable behaviour is in clear terms and review whether the penalties in place for such offences are appropriate.
Such a review, the ICC CEO Dave Richardson said, was imminent but the recent events have necessitated urgent action. The matter was on the agenda at ICC meetings in April, but has now been fast-tracked. "We have seen a number of incidents of poor player behaviour in recent weeks including things like some ugly sledging, abusive language, send-offs, dissent against umpire decisions, we had a walk-off in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, and now this ball-tampering episode in the latest series," Richardson said. "In fact player behaviour and player conduct was already on our agenda for the April meeting, but I think what happened in Cape Town has certainly created an additional sense of urgency that something needs to be done."
A group that includes the ICC cricket committee, the MCC and former players who, according to the ICC, played the game in the right spirit will conduct this code-of-conduct review. Current players will also be part of the process.
"Players from the past that we think have epitmosied the way the game should be played Names that come to mind immediately are Allan Border, Anil Kumble, Shaun Pollock, Courtney Walsh these are all players that played with aggression, passion. Richie Richardson will be another one. He was brilliant when he was captain of West Indies. These are players that played with passion and aggression and determination but never ever overstepped the mark. Never were abusive. Never resorted to personal sledging. And - to my knowledge anyway - no tampering of the ball."
Richardson said he was taken aback by the enormity of the reaction the specific incident of ball-tampering has received. "It has been an eye-opener for me that, 'Hang on, ball-tampering around the world is considered cheating.' And if we are going to take the attitude that everyone does it, if we allow a little bit of lip balm on occasion, raise the quarter seam on another, then where do we draw the line? Is that okay and using sandpaper is not? We probably need to look at it again. Let's be absolutely clear what we mean when we say ball tampering is not allowed. And what we mean by ball-tampering."
Richardson admitted the penalty available for ball-tampering in this instance - maximum of a one-Test ban for captain Steven Smith - sort of handicapped the ICC a little. He said that was not the case when the playing conditions were first formulated. "It is only subsequently that we have come to realise that, 'Hang on, the world, not only Australia, regards ball-tampering in a very serious light. That, I think we identified as, the need to look at the level of the penalty imposed specific to ball tampering."
ESPN
Such a review, the ICC CEO Dave Richardson said, was imminent but the recent events have necessitated urgent action. The matter was on the agenda at ICC meetings in April, but has now been fast-tracked. "We have seen a number of incidents of poor player behaviour in recent weeks including things like some ugly sledging, abusive language, send-offs, dissent against umpire decisions, we had a walk-off in the tri-series in Sri Lanka, and now this ball-tampering episode in the latest series," Richardson said. "In fact player behaviour and player conduct was already on our agenda for the April meeting, but I think what happened in Cape Town has certainly created an additional sense of urgency that something needs to be done."
A group that includes the ICC cricket committee, the MCC and former players who, according to the ICC, played the game in the right spirit will conduct this code-of-conduct review. Current players will also be part of the process.
"Players from the past that we think have epitmosied the way the game should be played Names that come to mind immediately are Allan Border, Anil Kumble, Shaun Pollock, Courtney Walsh these are all players that played with aggression, passion. Richie Richardson will be another one. He was brilliant when he was captain of West Indies. These are players that played with passion and aggression and determination but never ever overstepped the mark. Never were abusive. Never resorted to personal sledging. And - to my knowledge anyway - no tampering of the ball."
Richardson said he was taken aback by the enormity of the reaction the specific incident of ball-tampering has received. "It has been an eye-opener for me that, 'Hang on, ball-tampering around the world is considered cheating.' And if we are going to take the attitude that everyone does it, if we allow a little bit of lip balm on occasion, raise the quarter seam on another, then where do we draw the line? Is that okay and using sandpaper is not? We probably need to look at it again. Let's be absolutely clear what we mean when we say ball tampering is not allowed. And what we mean by ball-tampering."
Richardson admitted the penalty available for ball-tampering in this instance - maximum of a one-Test ban for captain Steven Smith - sort of handicapped the ICC a little. He said that was not the case when the playing conditions were first formulated. "It is only subsequently that we have come to realise that, 'Hang on, the world, not only Australia, regards ball-tampering in a very serious light. That, I think we identified as, the need to look at the level of the penalty imposed specific to ball tampering."
ESPN
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