Yorkshireman Richard Kettleborough played 33 games for his county before turning his hand to umpiring.
The 45-year-old started his international umpiring career in 2009, and was appointed to the elite panel in 2011 with now 51 Tests, 74 ODIs, and 22 T20s to his credit.
But through sheer chance, Kettleborough has been directly involved in three ball-tampering decisions.
He was an on-field umpire when South African captain Faf du Plessis was found guilty in Hobart in November 2016 against Australia, and when Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft admitted guilt in Cape Town last March.
Ian Gould was the TV umpire in Cape Town who provided the ‘Sandpapergate’ evidence.
Their positions are reversed in Gros Islet with Gould on-field and Kettleborough the TV umpire where Sri Lankan captain Dinish Chandimal was charged on television evidence last Friday with altering the condition of the ball by applying saliva with a sweet in his mouth.
That was exactly what du Plessis did in Hobart, despite pleading not guilty, as Chandimal did at the weekend.
Du Plessis was found guilty and appealed, but lost that as well to be fined his entire match fee, but avoided any match bans.
Faf du Plessis (Image: Channel Nine)
That dramatically changed in Cape Town, where the ICC banned Smith for a Test that turned into a 12-month suspension from Cricket Australia for captain Smith, and his vice-captain David Warner, and nine months for the sandpaper user Cameron Bancroft.
You would think the severity of those suspensions would deter anyone in the future from ball-tampering, but obviously Chandimal didn’t get the message, especially as the old umpiring hands on tampering are on duty like Kettleborough and Gould who know what to look for, and how to prove it.
Gould is an on-field umpire with the vastly experienced Aleem Dar, Kettleborough the TV umpire.
Again television evidence is damning, so Chandimal’s not guilty plea has only put off the final decision until a hearing at the completion of the Test.
Match referee Javagal Srinath, who has already awarded five penalty runs to the West Indies after the tampering charge was laid last Friday and the ball changed, will chair that hearing.
Chandimal faces a Test suspension, or two ODIs, but that’s about to change with the ICC soon to announce that in future the minimum suspension for ball-tampering will be four Tests, or eight ODIs.
The ICC moves in mysterious ways.
For two decades it was just ball-tampering, now the ICC describes it as cheating and not in the spirit of the game under its Code of Conduct.
The media has played its part as well, writing off previous ball-tamperings as just that until Smith, Warner, and Bancroft were promoted to creating a scandal, splashing the story over the front and back pages of newspapers, and heading the television and radio news.
Cameron Bancroft of Australia talks to the umpire. (AP Photo/Halden Krog)
Social media went off the planet.
And in the light of all that massive and damning coverage, Dinish Chandimal can still manage to get himself charged with ball-tampering on television evidence.
Mind boggling.
Doc79
Guest
The varying reactions to ball tampering by Australia as opposed to Sri Lanka can be viewed three ways. 1. Elitism- as in Australians are above such behaviour of other lowly nations. 2. Racism of low expectations- as in 'what do you expect from other lowly, inferior nations. 3. Media hyperbole- whipping the zombified media followers into some imagined frenzy so that eyeballs are focused, laser like, on crap they're trying to sell.
Rats
Guest
Yes.. despite knowing u would be definitely caught, u still go ahead and do it.. that's the desperation I fail to understand..
Kris
Guest
"more and more international captains are doing this." More and more are getting caught by the dozens of cameras, every game being broadcast and 10s of thousands of twitter accounts. I doubt the modern captain is any less honest than any previous ones.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
So there should be if an Australian captain pulled that stunt.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
I am glad that Starc and Hazlewood have actually come out and spoke publicly about this. If the ball maintenance group as Josh calls it tampers with the ball that would surely ruin your credibility as a test bowler. It basically says you got your wickets through foul play rather than skill that you have developed since you were a child.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
'Why should they not be penalized for that?' That's up to the Sri Lankan board as the ICC is so gutless they handed Chandimal a one match ban. Cricket boards now have to set the standard. On your comments Rats hear, hear.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
'You can look at that another way Bakkies . The most junior player agreed to do the dirty work . Maybe it wasn’t so hard to “get” him to do it.' Given the history of treating junior players poorly in the Australian dressing room it would be rather difficult for Bancroft to say no. Warner had that in his charge sheet.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
'Australia handed down the longest suspensions in cricket history ' For ball tampering and misleading officials yes. The sandpaper thing was that ridiculous it didn't even scuff up the ball.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
'Can you imagine the condemnation if they refused to take the field?' I remember Ranatunga doing it in Adelaide when Murali was no balled. Alec Stewart gave Ranatunga a gobful behind the stumps while he was batting. People at the time said the umpires were out of order as Murali had been cleared which was nonsense. Just because you are cleared it doesn't give you carte blanche to try new deliveries.
Rats
Guest
Lets not forget the heavy punishment to Smith and Warner were meted out by cricket Australia.. not ICC.. that's the standard CA wants to set for themselves.. and the over reaction came from Aussie media and experts more than rest of the world.. that shows you guys care about the game.. be proud of being an Australian cricket fan.. Try being an Indian fan for a day.. you will know how hard it is when you are taken for granted by BCCI..
JayG
Guest
I could argue that SL brought more disrepute to the game by also lying to umpires and match referees, refusing to take the field and generally behaving like spoilt brats ( term recently used for Steve Smith's Aus team) Why should they not be penalized for that?
Rats
Guest
Hazelwood is bang on here.. you can clearly see how cricket has changed in the last few years.. desperation to win.. desperation to prove to the world that you are the best, because the world thinks only results matter.. there are two kind of cricket fans right now.. one who sits and watches the game, other who follows it through media.. I know people who don't watch a single ball, but feel happy and proud when they read "India thrashed Australia" in the newspaper.. unfortunately the current international players somehow feel the need to satisfy the second group of fans. All international players must read what Hazelwood says http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/23835435/australia-focus-only-results-led-ball-tampering-scandal
Rats
Guest
Shameless act from SL captain.. deserves punishment.. Again begs the question, why more and more international captains are doing this.. why this desperation to win at any cost.. why players don't want to field and bowl for a long time anymore.. ICC need to look into this aspect as well and remind captains and their boards that winning is not everything.. even a well fought drawn test match is not acceptable anymore.. there are groups of people who would say "this is the problem with test cricket. 5 days and still no result".. complete lack of understanding of what test cricket is..
KenoathCarnt
Guest
There was a massive reaction by all media. I said Australia handed down the ban which is refering to the ACB.
Jacko
Guest
Ken it was the AUS media that turned it from a nothing into a massive over reaction...Try blaming the correct mob.....Also the ICC banned the Aus guys for 1 match...the ACB are the ones that banned them for 12 mths
Jacko
Guest
i remember the Windies doin it in NZ in the late 70s early 80s...it was a big thing then as a Windies bowler came out and hit an umpire in his run in to bowl
Just Nuisance
Guest
You can look at that another way Bakkies . The most junior player agreed to do the dirty work . Maybe it wasn't so hard to "get" him to do it.
KenoathCarnt
Guest
Yea Australia did make more of a plan but still ball tampering is ball tampering. It's wrong and there has been absolutely nothing in terms of persecution for Sri Lanka. Australia handed down the longest suspensions in cricket history and all you heard from England was it should have been more?? Absolutely rediculous England just love hating on Australia and this is clear proof there isnt even one article on Sri Lanka. They were clearly just hurt by losing the Ashes 4 zip.
Bakkies
Roar Guru
The key difference with Sandpaper gate is that senior players got the most junior player in terms of caps to do their dirty work and it was even subtle. They also lied to the umpires and at the press conference which is available to the public. Warner didn't even face the match referee.
KenoathCarnt
Guest
I noticed how Skysports have put zero effort into making this into the biggest story in the world. Yet when Australia was charged it was pretty much the biggest strory in the world. Just shows how bitter some countries are against Australia and how much of an overreaction it was. Obviously what Australia did was wrong but I believe it kind of blew up into something bigger then it actually was.