Tough ICC punishment for ball-tampering

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has unveiled tougher sanctions for ball-tampering and sledging in a bid to improve on-field behaviour in the sport. A Mail & Guardian Online report says the changes come in the wake of a ball-tampering scandal in SA in March that saw Steve Smith stripped of the Australian captaincy and suspended from international and domestic cricket for a year. Changes include the introduction of a raft of tougher sanctions, to be introduced later this year for cheating (other than ball-tampering), personal abuse, audible obscenity, disobeying an umpire’s instructions, and changing the condition of the ball, the Dubai-based governing body said. Ball tampering will now be considered a level three offence, for which the maximum sanction is 12 suspension points, the equivalent to six Test matches or 12 one-day internationals.