Mintgate

I've written a column for the Opinion pages of today's Times that you may find interesting on Marcus Trescothick's revelations that England used the sugary saliva that comes from sucking mints to smear the ball and, it was hoped, make it swing.

One point I am keen to make wider known, because most people who have run this story have got it wrong, is that Tresco's autobiography (page 96) makes it quite clear he is talking about the 2001 Ashes not, as the Sunday paper serialising the book claimed, the 2005 series. And we were beaten 4-1 in that series. As cheating goes, we suck.

Comments

[Peter McGuinness]

'...all ball tampering is illegal so everyone should cut it out.'

What's 'strange' Shyam, is that anyone sould possibly extrapolate a double standard and obtusely allege racism in that comment.

[Rusty]

Shyam, we don't "vilify" anyone - its not one our words. It's one of yours. We just "sledge".

But it's reverse psychology, you know, to what you think. Rahul Dravid appeared to personify upstanding honesty, and the cricket world (back then, when people still thought indian cricketers were gentlemen), was shocked to think that he could stoop so low.

On the other hand, we have no such illusions about the Brits (present company excepted, of course) knowing their past. "No-one is much fussed" might translate as "no-one was much surprised"

[Patrick Kidd]

Hi Shyam, I guess the lesson is not to get caught. Dravid was seen rubbing the lozenge directly on to the ball. But if bowlers are subtle about it then good luck to them. After all, it's not as if the umpires can really stop play to ask players to show what is in their mouth.

[Shyam]

Strange. When Rahul Dravid was using a lolly to polish the ball on India's 2004 tour of Australia, he was vilified by the Aussies, not to mention fined by the match referee. Trescothick gets away scot free, and I guess the Aussies are fine with an Englishman using such means to alter the state of the ball.

[Peter McGuinness]

At least the ball smelled hygienically fresh as it was whistling past the noses of our top order.

Oh that's right it was 2001. Strike that comment.

Insert this one:

Who cares? England were too good in 2005, regardless of any underhanded tictacs. I mean tactics.

I'm more worried about seam lifting scuffing & scratching. Mind you, all tampering is illegal so everyone should cut it out.

[Johnmc]

The England team had every right to get huffy, Rusty. How is one supposed to sell an autobiography if blabbermouth Aussie cricketers give all the juicy bits to the press for free?

[Rusty]

Actually, no-one here is much fussed about it at all. It's just the newspapers, trying to beat it up. In any case, we already knew the English cricketers were using mints to get the ball to swing. Nathan Bracken mentioned it in an interview some years ago - and was immediately told to retract the comment, as the English team were getting all huffy about it.

[Johnmc]

Shows we can't even cheat properly... Anyway, it was nice to see the reaction of the majority of Australian cricketers asked their opinion on the subject was "so what?"