What is ball tampering in cricket and why is Australia captivated by it?

Fri, 11 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 117, AAW 4/121

Mon, 14 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, ZIM 235, AUS 8/294

Mon, 14 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 7/148, AAW 2/178

Wed, 16 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 161, AAW 5/168

Thu, 17 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, ZIM 272, AUS 6/356

Thu, 17 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, INU 6/182, AUU 7/175

Thu, 17 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, WAU 9/238, SAM 0/58

Fri, 18 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, QUE 7/335, VIC 7/339

Sat, 19 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, ZIM 8/271, AUS 9/272

Sat, 19 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 6/239, AAW 235

Sat, 19 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, WAU 115, TAS 1/117

Sun, 20 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, INU 7/341, AUU 239

Mon, 21 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, QUE 358, NSW 6/359

Tue, 22 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 6/338, AAW 8/341

Tue, 22 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, INU 4/255, AUU 254

Tue, 22 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, SAM 7/383, TAS 8/376

Wed, 23 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, SAF 8/297, AUS 230

Thu, 24 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 6/364, AAW 9/362

Thu, 24 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, INA 334 & 199, AUA 171 & 200

Thu, 24 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, VIC 212, NSW 257

Sat, 26 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, SAF 9/365, AUS 333

Mon, 28 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, INU 494, AUU 217 & 229

Mon, 28 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, SYW 4/168, QUW 167

Mon, 28 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, VIW 8/293, SAS 7/290

Mon, 28 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, WAW 6/236, TAW 232

Tue, 29 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, SAF 4/145, AUS 9/322

Wed, 30 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, IAW 364 & 257, AAW 176 & 164

Wed, 30 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, SYW 174, QUW 4/285

Wed, 30 Sept, 11:00 pm, Final score, WAW 7/273, TAW 7/299

Thu, 1 Oct, 2:00 pm, Final score, VIW -, SAS -

Thu, 1 Oct, 11:00 pm, Final score, INA 167 & 9/310, AUA 358 & 4/173d

Tue, 6 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, INA 149, AUA 274

Tue, 6 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, QUW 9/266, BAW 7/196

Wed, 7 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, INU 315 & 0/11, AUU 174 & 151

Fri, 9 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AUW 3/168, BAW 166

Fri, 9 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, INA 206, AUA 275

Sat, 10 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, VIC 244 & 224, SAM 508

Sun, 11 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AUW 1/222, BAW 6/220

Sun, 11 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, INA 275, AUA 226

Sun, 11 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, NSW 9/500d, TAS 245 & 5/402

Sun, 11 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, WAU 175 & 8/201, QUE 307 & 68

Mon, 12 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, VIC 241, SAM 311

Mon, 12 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, HHW 7/127, ACM 100

Mon, 12 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SSW 3/136, BHW 90

Mon, 12 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, MRW 7/138, PSW 4/139

Mon, 12 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, STW 3/79, MSW 78

Tue, 13 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SAF 284 & 206, AUS 390 & 6/314d

Tue, 13 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, NSW 158, TAS 203

Tue, 13 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, WAU 246, QUE 261

Tue, 13 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SSW 3/78, ACM 7/77

Tue, 13 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, ASW 4/183, PSW 8/182

Tue, 13 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, STW -, BHW -

Wed, 14 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AUW 2/175, BAW 172

Wed, 14 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, MRW 4/180, MSW 6/179

Wed, 14 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, ASW 5/165, HHW 8/136

Fri, 16 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, BHW 4/86, ACM 83

Sat, 17 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SAM 7/397, QUE 271

Sat, 17 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, HHW 5/136, PSW 8/166

Sat, 17 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, STW 5/122, MRW 9/121

Sat, 17 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, ACM 4/129, MSW 6/132

Sat, 17 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SSW 9/105, ASW 6/143

Sun, 18 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AUW 8/165, NZW 2/162

Sun, 18 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, MRW 2/132, HHW 8/129

Sun, 18 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, BHW 129, ASW 6/139

Sun, 18 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, STW 2/93, PSW 92

Sun, 18 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SSW 8/155, MSW 5/158

Sun, 18 Oct, 7:15 pm, Live score, AUW -, BAW -

Tue, 20 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AUW 7/167, NZW 8/127

Tue, 20 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, ASW 6/116, PSW 5/118

Tue, 20 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, STW 9/152, SSW 6/153

Tue, 20 Oct, 7:15 pm, Live score, AUW -, BAW -

Wed, 21 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SAM 203 & 145, QUE 238 & 4/114

Wed, 21 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, PSW 7/134, SSW 8/149

Thu, 22 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SAF 9/425d, AUS 99 & 295 f/o

Thu, 22 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AUW -, NZW 2/11

Thu, 22 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, TAS 241 & 236, VIC 207 & 266

Thu, 22 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, WAU 339 & 9/244, NSW 6/440d & 5/262d

Thu, 22 Oct, 7:15 pm, Live score, AUW -, BAW -

Sat, 24 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, TAS 137, VIC 7/304

Sat, 24 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, WAU 293, NSW 8/371

Thu, 29 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, MRW 9/138, STW 4/140

Thu, 29 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, MSW 4/192, HHW 8/174

Fri, 30 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, BHW 5/154, SSW 6/157

Fri, 30 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AU6 3/135, ONG 4/107

Fri, 30 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, EN6 0/121, AU6 4/159

Sat, 31 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SAF 329 & 387, AUS 429 & 111

Sat, 31 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, ASW 2/185, MSW 7/164

Sat, 31 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, PSW 1/138, MRW 6/136

Sat, 31 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, SAM 154 & 316, WAU 5/406d & 169

Sat, 31 Oct, 12:00 am, Final score, AU6 3/141, UE6 6/88

Sun, 1 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, STW 4/180, BHW 5/178

Sun, 1 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, SSW 8/196, HHW 109

Sun, 1 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, TAS 427, NSW 202 & 144 f/o

Sun, 1 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, AU6 5/115, AF6 2/119

Mon, 2 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, MSW 109, PSW 9/124

Tue, 3 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, QUE 280 & 3/75, VIC 307 & 173

Wed, 4 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, HHW 7/154, MRW 6/155

Thu, 5 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, ASW 5/170, BHW 4/184

Thu, 5 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, STW 166, PSW 3/183

Fri, 6 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, MSW 7/159, SSW 5/160

Sat, 7 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, MRW 3/188, ASW 8/152

Sat, 7 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, BHW 6/119, HHW 9/116

Sat, 7 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, WAU 159, ENG 251

Sun, 8 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, SSW 2/162, STW 158

Sun, 8 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, PSW 4/137, MSW 6/136

Tue, 10 Nov, 12:00 am, Final score, HHW 5/138, ASW 6/139

Wed, 11 Nov, 12:00 am, Live score, PSW -, STW -

Wed, 11 Nov, 12:00 am, Live score, QUE 2/92, TAS -

Wed, 11 Nov, 12:00 am, Live score, NSW 9/204, SAM -

Wed, 11 Nov, 12:00 am, Live score, VIC 2/153, WAU -

Thu, 12 Nov, 3:40 pm, Game not started, MSW versus BHW

Thu, 12 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, MRW versus SSW

Fri, 13 Nov, 2:30 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Sat, 14 Nov, 3:40 pm, Game not started, HHW versus BHW

Sat, 14 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, PSW versus ASW

Sun, 15 Nov, 11:00 am, Game not started, SSW versus MRW

Sun, 15 Nov, 2:30 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Mon, 16 Nov, 10:00 am, Game not started, NSW versus SAM

Mon, 16 Nov, 11:00 am, Game not started, QUE versus TAS

Mon, 16 Nov, 2:00 pm, Game not started, VIC versus WAU

Mon, 16 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, STW versus MSW

Tue, 17 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, ASW versus SSW

Wed, 18 Nov, 2:30 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Thu, 19 Nov, 3:40 pm, Game not started, HHW versus PSW

Thu, 19 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, BHW versus STW

Fri, 20 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, ASW versus MRW

Sat, 21 Nov, 12:00 pm, Game not started, HHW versus STW

Sat, 21 Nov, 3:30 pm, Game not started, SSW versus PSW

Sat, 21 Nov, 7:15 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Sun, 22 Nov, 10:30 am, Game not started, NSW versus QUE

Sun, 22 Nov, 3:40 pm, Game not started, BHW versus ASW

Sun, 22 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, MSW versus MRW

Mon, 23 Nov, 1:30 pm, Game not started, WAU versus TAS

Tue, 24 Nov, 11:00 am, Game not started, SAM versus VIC

Tue, 24 Nov, 7:15 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Wed, 25 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, MRW versus BHW

Thu, 26 Nov, 3:40 pm, Game not started, STW versus ASW

Thu, 26 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, SSW versus MSW

Fri, 27 Nov, 7:15 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Fri, 27 Nov, 9:10 pm, Game not started, PSW versus HHW

Sat, 28 Nov, 3:40 pm, Game not started, MRW versus MSW

Sat, 28 Nov, 7:10 pm, Game not started, STW versus SSW

Sun, 29 Nov, 12:00 pm, Game not started, BHW versus PSW

Sun, 29 Nov, 3:30 pm, Game not started, ASW versus HHW

Sun, 29 Nov, 7:15 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Tue, 1 Dec, 7:10 pm, Game not started, versus

Wed, 2 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, AUS versus ENG

Thu, 3 Dec, 10:30 am, Game not started, NSW versus WAU

Thu, 3 Dec, 10:30 am, Game not started, VIC versus QUE

Thu, 3 Dec, 11:00 am, Game not started, SAM versus TAS

Thu, 3 Dec, 7:10 pm, Game not started, versus

Sat, 5 Dec, 7:10 pm, Game not started, versus

Wed, 9 Dec, 1:20 pm, Game not started, AUS versus NZL

Sat, 12 Dec, 8:10 pm, Game not started, MER versus PER

Mon, 14 Dec, 11:00 am, Game not started, SAS versus WAW

Tue, 15 Dec, 10:00 am, Game not started, ACM versus SYW

Tue, 15 Dec, 3:00 pm, Game not started, SLW versus AUW

Tue, 15 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, BRI versus SYS

Wed, 16 Dec, 11:00 am, Game not started, SAS versus WAW

Wed, 16 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, SYT versus ADE

Thu, 17 Dec, 10:00 am, Game not started, ACM versus SYW

Thu, 17 Dec, 11:30 am, Game not started, AUS versus NZL

Thu, 17 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, HOB versus BRI

Fri, 18 Dec, 3:00 pm, Game not started, SLW versus AUW

Fri, 18 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, MES versus ADE

Sat, 19 Dec, 10:30 am, Game not started, TAW versus VIW

Sat, 19 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, SYT versus SYS

Sun, 20 Dec, 3:00 pm, Game not started, SLW versus AUW

Sun, 20 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, PER versus HOB

Mon, 21 Dec, 10:30 am, Game not started, TAW versus VIW

Mon, 21 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, MES versus BRI

Tue, 22 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, SYS versus MER

Wed, 23 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, ADE versus SYT

Thu, 24 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, MER versus HOB

Sat, 26 Dec, 10:30 am, Game not started, AUS versus NZL

Sat, 26 Dec, 6:05 pm, Game not started, SYS versus BRI

Sat, 26 Dec, 9:15 pm, Game not started, PER versus MES

Sun, 27 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, SYT versus MER

Mon, 28 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, BRI versus ADE

Tue, 29 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, HOB versus MES

Wed, 30 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, PER versus SYT

Thu, 31 Dec, 7:15 pm, Game not started, ADE versus MES

Fri, 1 Jan 2027, 4:00 pm, Game not started, MER versus SYS

Fri, 1 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, BRI versus HOB

Sat, 2 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, SYT versus PER

Sun, 3 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, SYS versus ADE

Mon, 4 Jan 2027, 10:30 am, Game not started, AUS versus NZL

Mon, 4 Jan 2027, 10:30 am, Game not started, QUW versus ACM

Mon, 4 Jan 2027, 6:05 pm, Game not started, MES versus MER

Mon, 4 Jan 2027, 9:15 pm, Game not started, PER versus BRI

Tue, 5 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, HOB versus SYT

Wed, 6 Jan 2027, 10:30 am, Game not started, QUW versus ACM

Wed, 6 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, ADE versus MER

Thu, 7 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, MES versus SYS

Fri, 8 Jan 2027, 5:00 pm, Game not started, WAW versus VIW

Fri, 8 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, BRI versus PER

Sat, 9 Jan 2027, 10:30 am, Game not started, TAW versus SYW

Sat, 9 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, HOB versus ADE

Sun, 10 Jan 2027, 2:10 pm, Game not started, SYS versus PER

Sun, 10 Jan 2027, 5:00 pm, Game not started, WAW versus VIW

Sun, 10 Jan 2027, 7:15 pm, Game not started, MER versus BRI

Eight years after then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull felt the need to weigh in on Australia's ball tampering in the Cape Town Test, sandpaper and cricket are back in the headlines together.

Usman Khawaja's book, featuring revelations, allusions and confirmations of what most everyone already believed, has reignited conversations about the Australian team's conduct during that 2018 tour of South Africa.

But whatever the team did, who did it and who knew about it, one thing is for sure: they weren't the first to fiddle with the ball.

So why did they do it and why was the reaction so extreme?

In the wake of Khawaja's exclusive interview with Nine Newspapers on the weekend, outspoken former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson added to the conversation with a brilliantly headlined article.

Evocative wording or not, the 46-Test veteran is right. But why?

The science of conventionally swinging a cricket ball through the air is relatively simple and adheres to some basic rules of drag, air pressure and laminar flow (a lot of the same stuff that keeps an aeroplane in the air).

When a cricket ball is new, its stitched seam is standing at its tallest, allowing a bowler to angle that seam towards or away from the batter and the air will get caught on the seam, dragging the ball in that direction.

But the proud seam on a dark red ball is clearly visible to a batter, and the best ones can see what's happening and account for it.

Reverse swing is a little more complicated and prized due to it being more difficult to deliver, predict and face.

"As a batter it's the hardest thing to face. It's a beautiful art," former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis told The Grade Cricketer podcast on the eve of Australia's return to Cape Town last month.

The ball swings towards the side of the ball that looks smoother due to small abrasions on that "shiny" side of the ball, more of which is facing the batter and therefore offering more surface area and turbulent airflow, this time dragging the ball in the opposite direction to the way the seam is facing.

It also happens later in the ball's flight, often too late for the batter to react.

It only comes after the ball has been bowled for a few dozen overs and whacked around the field a bit; once the seam has flattened out, and the leather has been, crucially, roughed up and dried out.

Weather conditions have to be perfect, the bowlers have to be incredibly skilled and the care for the ball has to be spot-on, to the point that former England captain Alastair Cook was prized as a ball shiner because he barely sweats.

Of course, there are other ways to help this along.

Once a cricket pitch has flattened out from the start of a game, the new ball has lost its shine and proud seam, and before it becomes a spinner's paradise on days four and five (although this is becoming more and more rare), reverse swing is one of the few tools in fast bowler's arsenal.

For decades, cricket teams have worked on the ball feverishly to try to work on conventional and reverse swing.

Often players will shine the ball on their groin or hip, or use spit or some sweat from their forehead.

In those processes, there are some grey areas.

Any sensible cricketer will be wearing sunscreen, some will be wearing hair products, many will be chewing gum or chomping on a lolly.

All of that gives a little extra viscosity to the sweat or saliva being used on the ball but, until match referees force players to spit their gum into a hanky on the boundary line or force them to have a shower before entering the field of play, there's not much they can do.

Then there's the flip side, where players try to create a rougher surface to generate that turbulent airflow, which can include simple things like picking at the seam of a ball or fielders intentionally throwing the ball in short to ensure it bounces on the coarse pitch block.

Ironically enough, du Plessis, South Africa's captain on that fateful 2018 tour, twice stumbled from lightish grey into gun-metal territory earlier in his career.

In 2013, after a failed attempt with his fingernails, du Plessis was caught on camera blatantly scratching the ball on the zip of his pants pocket, mere centimetres from legal territory.

A few years later, as he skippered the team during a 2016 tour of Australia, he was again seen on the field opening his mouth, touching his fingers to a massive white mint on the middle of his tongue, then applying that sugary saliva directly to the ball.

Had he simply sucked the mint, popped it into his cheek and then touched his tongue, he could have avoided his own chase through the airport and a hefty fine.

Du Plessis described the fallout from his 2013 zipper incident as "a week of hell", so it's no wonder he expressed so much sympathy for Cameron Bancroft and Steve Smith (curiously no mention of David Warner) as the world closed in on them.

After massive bans and public disgrace, you would think the world would have moved on, but between the long-awaited Test return to South Africa and now Khawaja's book, the controversy seems never-ending.

One part absolutely boils to down to Australian cricket's sense of exceptionalism and perception of itself as arbiter of what is and isn't acceptable on a cricket field.

But the brazen nature of the ball tampering is perhaps the biggest reason that this was and remains such a big story.

England skipper Michael Atherton was caught rubbing dirt into the ball and his reputation remains pristine but, like the various fructose or lotion-enhanced bodily fluids, that's the sort of thing one could use on the ball opportunistically or even inadvertently.

Perhaps that's why Bancroft's first feeble attempt at deflection was claiming he "saw an opportunity to potentially use some tape [and] get some granules from the rough patches on the wicket", rather than bringing some 300 grit onto the field where its only purpose could be ball tampering.

There are legendary tales of bottle caps being used to help out reverse swing kings like Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in Test matches way back when, and Khawaja wrote about some of the methods he had seen or heard of in Sheffield Shield cricket.

But in a high-profile Test series, to be so obvious when the team knew they already had heat on them betrayed a sense that they thought they were untouchable or that winning was worth the risk.

Alas, the SuperSport cameras caught him in high definition and super slow-mo and put the so-called dark arts very much under a spotlight.

After du Plessis's minty moment, Dirk Nannes said in commentary at the time for ABC Sport: "It's an art and some of the art is doing it and not getting caught."

If that is the case, consider Cameron Bancroft less Gauguin and more Gallagher.