It's just not cricket - ball tampering needs to be addressed

Ronan,comment or shut up myte. I think you would agree that this would involve International cricket as I'm sure you are aware this test is in Sri Lanka. As for corruption in SA I cant agree with you enough, (We need a change desperately) our current government but that is mostly internal,what you are assuming is the whole world cricket is corrupt,would that really be a fair assumption because Vern scratched a ball??

Last go Ronan ... Felix, corruption in South Africa, let me pause while you consider whether that's even possible ...

Don't feed the troll Duncan!

CSA isnt doing anything either than protecting players from the media "hyenas" who will scrape all the juice be it good,bad true or not to get the most clicks,some assumptions about CSA maybe knowing in advance is ridiculouse in my opinion. That would be blatant corruption and punishable by law.

I'd be so embarrassed if the Aussies were caught doing this repeatedly, it needs to disappear from the game. Forced forfeiture to the culprit might achieve that. It's a bit of a pity really, all these accusations. When people think back to this team in the future, they'll think: "yeah sure, they were a very good team, but what about all that ball tampering business? How good were they actually?" Not really fair to their legacy, but when you cheat your claim to fair treatment is forfeited. They may always be champions with an asterisks I'm afraid.

Damn you Vern,embarrassing!!!!!. Satisfactory answer I guess we have to start all over and prove our ability as a test team. More pressure for the second test to make it a bigger victory without Verns mishaps . . . . .

That the Saffas chose not to defend the charges against them speaks volumes for the planning behind this crime. If it wasn't significant and it was only Vern (or Faf), why not fight it? Instead they say nothing, cop the fine and go on. Whether they'll risk it again will be interesting to see but the reverse it allowed Steyn to find would make it very tempting in a series decider where wickets were needed. This is shameful and, typically, the ICC punishment is a joke. Test matches are decided (or at least diverted) by cheating and the penalty is a fine that would be covered by a few spectators' gate takings.

Felix, you're kidding right, you're having a laugh init, you're pulling our proverbial leg slip, surely? If Jeremy Clarkeson just got on camera and said, "yeah, this car is alright and this one is ok too, oh and I like this a bit more" would Top Gear be as successful? This is a forum for people to express their views. And more to the point calling this Aussy (sic) media is a bit of a laugh. Anyone can get a Roar account and write articles. Duncan decided that based on evidence from two (or three) recent events that it might be worth writing something. I'm lead to believe that CSA 'encouraged' the broadcaster not to show footage of the dreaded act.....well that's a little suspect don't you think? Point is, we should all extract the digit and write something interesting like Duncan has done. I'd rather read something I disagree with than something that provides no opinion no interest and nothing worthy of a response.

Felix, I barely know where to start. Firstly, if they didn't do stupid stuff I wouldn't get to write about it. Secondly, I'm not beating on Saffies, I'd like to think I'm an equal opportunity writer. There are other teams I'd much rather write about. It's just that this is blatant rule breaking by the best attack in world cricket (or are they). Next, the umpires didn't say anything because they didn't see it, and CSA put measures in place with the broadcaster to ensure that they wouldn't get see it via the third umpire. The relevant piece here is that CSA protected their guilty player, in advance. I am sorry that I can't be positive about SA cricket, but the real story here isn't that SA cricket is really good, it's that they gained an unfair and material advantage to win a test (or tests) whose outcome may otherwise have been in doubt. Lastly, I'm hardly Aussie media, I'm a bloke who writes occasionally about stuff in cricket that gives me the shits (look me up on The Roar). South Africa are better than this crap and yet they choose to do it anyway. That gets up my nose. And I think it should get up your nose too.

Nice article, even if it was cut down. Poor David Warner, I don't think the South Africans get him. The Ian Chappell idea works for me, cricket it far too weighted towards batsman and while lots of sixes are exciting, I'd rather watch Bradman score a 100 hitting every ball flat on the ground with a twig in his hand and on a dodgy wet wicket than Warner clocking everything for six with a bazooka of a bat. While we're at it, get rid of helmets - that should get a few people's blood boiling.

I agree, ball tampering should be stopped and a team should forfeit the match. Regardless of when in the match t occurs, it is blatant cheating and must be eradicated As a South African supporter it is embarrassing to know we cheated.

Yes I wondered myself why most peoples reaction was that Warner was full of shit ?...you have someone right at the coal face who WOULD know (not us mugs sitting behind our keyboards back home being fed a steady diet of premasticated sanitized media guff) ...and he would have surely known he was making a huge statement...I took the man at his word...this is nothing new, they been getting away with it forever...probably along with very body else.

Anything to put down the Saffers,Vernon has given Aussie journos plenty of ammunition. Not even a mention of the fact that the empires said they didnt think he's actions affected the game or ball but still that doesnt make what he did excusable. How about reporting on any positive happening in SA cricket like the article above about India and England,SA vs Sri Lanka would of been written about had SA lost the match. Aussy media is so predictable when it comes to writing about SA,what can I say you people really know how to pick the best moments in SA. I'm used to it by now and logged on to theroar expecting this,come onn is this spite or what??

RobK, the truth is that Vern and Faf were charged with ball tampering. The rest is my opinion.

Ronan, I really don't get your chain of logic. I can call Warner and unsporting prat and Philander a ball tamperer and be correct both times. Because Philander used his finger nail doesn't in any universe make Warner correct. And that example isn't the only reason why Warner has been insulted. Granted he is a superb batsman but he does have his own demons

Dear Roarers - I want the full unabridged article.I CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH!

“We’re not a team that scratches the ball. I know Faf very well, he’s the last man to try anything like that.” These were the statements made by AB de Villiers after Warner's accusations, bizarrely overlooking the fact that Faf had indeed been done for interfering with the ball just months previous. Now Philander's been caught too. There were a lot of South African fans who slated Warner after his accusations. Not sure if they can read this article, what with all that egg on their face.

Stellenbosched, you're absolutely right, I've no proof, which is why I said "I think ..". But on this, there are many journalists who never had proof of Armstrong's drug taking but that published their opinion anyway (and sadly many more who didn't). I'm saying that three instances in 9 months paints a pretty convincing picture in my mind. On the dirty three - I'm disgusted about that too. I'd like for the other nations could find a way to undermine this unholy trinity, but sadly everyone else is broke and the bad guys hold all the cash. I'm not clear on how India, Eng and Aus would parlay their hijacking into winning individual games of cricket as SA appear to have done (although you never know what N Srinivasan could come up with).

Question for the editors - was my submitted version really that inflammatory that you buried it with an inoffensive title and slashed paragraphs. Some edits I get (my conversational writing style isn't for everyone), but some I don't really understand. I think you significantly reduced the impact of my piece. The definition of cheat is "to act dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage". I think it's fair to say that twice in nine months SA have been found by the match referee to have broken the rules of the game in order to gain an advantage. I take issue with the removal of that word. Happy to have an offline discussion on this with you.

Hi FunkieD, I am disgusted by Philanders conduct. However, you have absolutely no proof whatsoever to claim that cheating is SA's policy. If you want to talk about unfair advantage then we should mention three countries that have high jacked cricket.