Tampering the ball is tampering with cricket which not only brings this noble game into disrepute but also defies the axiom that this game should be played in the best spirit of its tradition to ensure fairplay and entertainment for those who keenly follow this glorious game of charming unpredictability.

The recent incident during the third Test at Newlands in Cape Town when Australian fielder Cameron Bancroft was caught on the camera scuffing the ball in a pre-meditated plan by the Australian captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner has now opened a can of worms, highlighting the controversy, the like of which we have seen in the past as well.

Editorial: Ball-tampering row

The difference this time, though, is that the entire act had been a planned one and involved a number of players. The self admission of by the Australian captain Smith of taking an unfair advantage is no less shocking for the cricketing world who looked up at him in awe for his deeds with the bat since he has been one of the most successful batsmen in modern times and among the best in Australian history.

Aussie Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, along with the entire nation, hung his head in shame while pleading for appropriate action and punishment to the players involved. His words were implemented at once when a new captain, Tim Payne, was made in charge during the Test match.

ICC later came out with their own punishment with a one-match ban on Smith and docked his entire match fee for the Test.

Smith’s charge Bancroft, the man responsible for carrying out the tampering act, however, got away with deduction of only 75% of his match fee which to many is not what he deserved for presenting a poor image of the game.

Comment: Why Smith fell while standing up

The embarrassed Australian board, however, later came out with a lot more severe punishment for the three players - banning their captain and vice captain for a year from any class of cricket - besides imposing a nine month ban on Bancroft.

In the eyes of many, the Aussie trio’s banishment from the game for such a long period may be quite harsh for such a crime but we must understand that every country has its own parameters to make decisions in the manner they prefer.

The Australian sentiments have been hurt and thus, this reaction.

Read: How a tampering incident tarnished Australian cricket's image

We know that in incidents like this in previous years, players had got away lightly while the others for similar offences had been not so lucky. Inconsistencies, therefore, have always been there in cricket.

Often in the past, the cries of ‘one rule for one and another for the other’ have been heard when teams like Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and West Indies get into a rut like this.

We should also make sure not to confuse ball tampering with match-fixing and spot-fixing. Tampering with the ball is to alter the condition of the ball by unfair means to get the batsmen out; in match and spot-fixing, a huge amount of money changes hand to influence the result of the match.

Attempts to change the condition of the ball by artificial means such as scuffing, lifting the seam, using nails to scratch or rubbing the ball on the ground or applying sticky saliva from the mouth while chewing a mint or gum are all prohibited. These tactics are obviously used to achieve reverse swing. Keeping one side shiny and the other side of the ball rough during the course of the day’s play is legal but using any external means to scrub the ball or lifting of seam is a crime.

Pakistan’s fast bowlers, having discovered the technique from Sarfraz Nawaz, practiced the art with great success and were even condemned for it but when they passed on their skills to the bowlers of the county circuit in England it had suddenly become an art and not a dirty trick. Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis routed England with their blistering pace and swing in 1992 using their skills with perfection and were accused for cheating.

Over the years we have had a number of incidents involving ball tampering. The ‘dirt in the pocket affair’ in 1994 at Lord’s when the England captain Mike Atherton was caught on the camera applying dirt kept in his pocket on the ball against South Africa he was fined £2000 on the spot by his manager but escaped a ban from the ICC.

A Test between England and Pakistan was ruined in 2006 when at The Oval, Darrell Hair the Australian umpire accused the Pakistanis for changing the condition of the ball which resulted in Pakistan refusing to take the field after tea on the fourth day in protest and forfeited the Test as a result.

Inzamam-ul-Haq the Pakistan captain was slapped two match ban for not taking the field and was later faced a four match ODI ban.

Umpire Hair was proven wrong after an enquiry and eventually was faded out.

Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Faf du Plesis, Shahid Afridi, and a few others have all been accused of it and punished too in different manners but none banned for such a long period.

Related: 5 incidents that tarnished Steve Smith

The present crime and its debatable punishment however may sound harsh but it certainly would set an example for others who may in future resort to unfair means in a match which is supposed to be played within the spirit of the game.

Smith, Warner and Bancroft have been sent home in disgrace too to face the wrath of their fans and may perhaps never again will be able to wear that ‘Baggy Green Cap’ of which the Australians are so proud of.

And I will not be surprised to see both Smith and Warner retiring from the game before their ban is over.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2018