Pitch tampering nothing new

Mohandas Menon

Delhi's left-arm pace bowler Ashish Nehra got into the record books, although for wrong reasons, when he became the only second bowler in Test history to be banned from bowling for running on to the wicket, on the third day of the Bulawayo Test, during Zimbabwe's second innings, on June 9, 2001.

Nehra, at that stage, was bowling his 27th over, when Australia's ICC umpire Daryl Harper handed over the bowler his cap and sweater in the 95th over of Zimbabwe's innings with the score reading at 275-7, thereby signaling that he cannot bowl again in the match! Nehra, was, in fact, warned twice before in the innings by the local umpire Russell Tiffin

The Laws of Cricket on Unfair play (sections 42.11 and 42.12) makes it clear that the umpires shall intervene and prevent players from causing damage to the pitch, which may assist the bowlers of either side.

Interestingly, prior to 1947, there have been several instances of players damaging the pitch but the Law then did not make any provision for the bowlers to being banned from bowling any further in the match, although the umpires could warn the bowlers from doing so. It was only as per the 1947 MCC code that the umpires were empowered to remove a batsman or bowler from field of play if they were found guilty of pitch tampering.

Test cricket has provided many instances of pitch tampering by both batsmen and bowlers. In fact, just prior to the commencement of the third Sydney Test match in January 1883, Australian captain Billy Murdoch protested to his English counterpart Ivo Bligh about the spikes in left-arm pace bowler Dick Barlow's boots, which had caused extreme damage to the wickets in the previous two Test matches at Melbourne.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, "Mr Bligh, with great courtesy, had the offending plates removed." The matter was settled amicably.

Then, during the 1928-29 season, the touring MCC team had complained to the umpires that Australian fast bowler Harry "Bull" Alexander, then playing for Victoria at Melbourne, was causing damage to the wicket by scratching the turf with his boots while delivering the ball. However, he was allowed to continue after being warned by the umpires.

Since the change in Law in 1947, the first recorded instance came at the Cambridge ground in 1965. In a match between the touring New Zealanders and the Cambridge University, Mark Whitaker, a 19-year-old Freshman, was cautioned after lunch on the third day by umpire WE Phillipson for running down the middle of the pitch at the time of delivery. Later, after advising the Cambridge captain, the umpires -- Phillipson and JS Buller -- decided to ban the young bowler from bowling for the reminder of the innings, although he was allowed to complete his 27th over.

The Wisden had then noted: "This was the first instance in English cricket of an umpire taking such action."

Likewise, in November 1965, at the Sydney Cricket Ground, MCC's left-arm pace bowler Ian Jones was warned by both umpires in the first innings for following through down the wicket and was finally banned by umpire RF Burgess in the second innings from bowling again against New South Wales. He was not allowed to complete his fourth over.

During the 1969-70 season, a Queensland aboriginal fast bowler, IH King, was not allowed to complete his 14th over, after he was issued two earlier warnings for running onto the wicket by umpire KT Killey, while delivering the ball, in a Sheffield Sheild match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

A season later, in South Africa, Transvaal's pace bowler GLG Watson, while playing against Eastern Province at Johannesburg, was banned from completing his 16th over after a third warning (one more than the required legal warnings).

The only such instance before Nehra, in a Test match, came when New Zealand fast bowler Dick Motz against India at Christchurch in February 1968, was not allowed to bowl after bowling one over with the second new ball at the order of the umpires FR Goodall and RWR Shortt for running onto the wicket. Motz, by then, had bowled 14 overs, after taking six wickets for 63 runs in 21 overs in the first innings.

An unlikely bowler who was almost asked not to bowl again in a Test match was India's Sunil Gavaskar, who, while opening the Indian bowling attack in the second innings against England at the Wankhede Stadium in February 1977, was on the verge of being sent off the field for running down the wicket right at the batsman's end, when Dennis Amiss, the batsman, protested to the umpires. Indian captain Bishan Bedi had then no other option but to remove Gavaskar from the attack, who had bowled just one over - a maiden! Not bad for a part time bowler, whose job was just to remove the shine from the new ball.

Normally, it is the faster bowlers who are involved in such acts, however Pakistani captain and leg-spinner Intikhab Alam, while bowling against Queensland at Brisbane in December 1972 was ordered out of the attack by umpire PR Enright for following through down the wicket. He had been warned earlier by umpire L Johnson. It was a rather surprise decision by the umpires, for Intikhab, later a long-time Pakistan cricket coach, was never in his entire first-class career spanning nearly 20 years, ever even warned, let alone banned for damaging the wicket.

In November 1976, though for a different reason, Pakistani fast bowler Imran Khan was banned from bowling, after sending down too many short-pitched balls to the New Zealand batsmen in the Karachi Test match. In this case however, M/s Shujauddin and Shakoor Rana, the umpires, evoked Law 42.8 - deliberate bowling of high full pitched balls.

There have been several such instances recorded in the recent times in England and Australia, although not many such cases have been reported in matches in the sub-continent.

However in February 1998, a Ranji Trophy Super League match was abandoned with 27 minutes remaining on the third and penultimate day at the MA Chidmabaram Stadium at Chennai, when the Delhi batsmen refused to play on after they alleged Tamil Nadu fielders had dug up the pitch with their boots.

Later, both the teams were banned by the BCCI from playing further matches during the season, while one of the main accused in the controversy, Tamil Nadu wicket-keeper Reuben Paul was banned for a year from playing first-class cricket.