Smith's Crew in SA

[LP]

But what was done in SA was already illegal i.e. we cheated. The actions from the past you're describing were legal until rules were subsequently changed. Bit of a difference? I'm all for going all out within the rules.

I'm not defending them Cookie, but I'm a bit over the media hyperbole, they make it out like it's never happened to this degree before, when in reality stuff like this has never stopped happening.

Personally I think the games ruling body got this exactly wrong, in much the same way they got the front foot rule wrong. Let the bowlers or captain legally use the pitch to scrub the ball under the observation of the umpires, let the teams throw the ball into the turf, to get any demonstrable benefit it's a skill they will actually have to practice. Do this and the whole TV Slow Mo ball tampering controversy evaporates!

The ball still has to fit through the umpires gauge, it has to remain mostly round, so there is a natural limit to any ball tampering that teams can apply.