The <a href=”http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5270176.stm”>current cricket farce between England and Pakistan</a> about ball tampering has highlighted some rather peculiar rules in the game. <br />
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The one that really interested me was that the Pakistan team were “docked” 5 runs at the initial stage when the umpires decided the ball had been tampered with. 5 runs is a hopeless punishment as a deterrent, and the numbers back this up. In 2005, there were <b>48,637</b> runs scored in test cricket – and an average innings of just over <b>291</b>. This means that a 5 run penalty is effectively a <b>1.7%</b> fine per innings, and therefore only 0.43% of the average match – which is nothing. In the case of the game at the Oval, Pakistan had scored over 500 runs, so it was less than 1% in the context of just their innings.<br />
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This seems paltry compared to other sports. In tennis, a warning is followed by a point penalty. A point penalty might sound small, but considering it is 25% of a game, it carries more weight. The recent final between Roddick and Ferrero in Cincinnati had 109 points – so a point penalty would be just under 1% of a typical match, but may be more important given that due to the scoring system, fewer points are required to swing a game to one player.<br />
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In football, the penalty is the most typical sanction of foul play, although it can only be awarded in the area around the goal. But it is still a controversial decision to award one, and is not done so lightly (despite the reputation of some referees).<br />
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The penalty usually results in a goal. I don’t have the penalty conversion rates, but even if it was as low as 50% (which it won’t be), it is still a much harsher sanction than the penalties in tennis or cricket. In the 2005/6 Premiership season, there were 2.48 goals per game. Assuming a 50% conversion rate (i.e. a penalty is worth 0.5 goals), awarding a penalty is about a 20% match swing to one team. (I won’t look at rugby, as the penalty is given for more technical infringements and accidental mistakes than in cricket, football or tennis, and is an acceptable source of points rather than a punishment.)<br />
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So – why does cricket give the five run fine? It is a paltry sum and has zero impact compared to the shame and disgrace that is heaped upon the team or player involved. If the ICC really wanted to make it effective, it would be a 100 run fine. This would actually change a match, like a penalty in football, and give teams cause to think long and hard before tampering with the ball.<br />
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Quick aside: in all this fuss, no-one has noticed that <a href=”http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/pakistan/content/player/43650.html”>Mohammed Yousef</a> has scored a remarkable 631 runs in a 4-match series, which is the fifth-best 4-match total ever. <br />
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<table> <tr><td><B>Runs</B></td><td><B>Player</B></td><td><B>Series</B></td><td><B>Season</B></td></tr <tr bgcolor=”#DEDEDE”><td>712</td><td>JH Kallis</td><td>South Africa v West Indies</td><td>2003/04</td></tr> <tr><td>706</td><td>RT Ponting</td><td>Australia v India</td><td>2003/04</td></tr> <tr bgcolor=”#DEDEDE”><td>703</td><td>GA Headley</td><td>West Indies v England</td><td>1929/30</td></tr> <tr><td>693</td><td>EH Hendren</td><td>England v West Indies</td><td>1929/30</td></tr> <tr bgcolor=”#DEDEDE”><td>631</td><td>Mohammad Yousuf</td><td>England v Pakistan</td><td>2006</td></tr></table>
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