It's not as if they really needed to.

Exactly.....

Will be interesting to see if they were up to it in the first innings

Just to clarify

It was Faf and philander that were caught red handed by the cameras

All teams do it. They just cover the ball in their palms now will gently pulling and lifting the seam. Theres always way around the cameras picking it up. But cant believe SA did it so blatantly . Not seen it yet. But obviously was picked up by umpires.

Agree all do it - which is why the ICC should just legalise it?

from what i saw it leaves no doubt in the mind. None whatsoever. Also, notice how smith was always passing the ball to faf - did he know, was it pre-planned? how did saffers reverse the bowl so early on in first innings to when paks didnt?

stupidity on saffers part, they are hammering us, was only a matter of time before wickets fell anyway

no the icc shouldn't leaglise it. Its cheating and when a team is caught the players involved should be banned.be interested to see how the Icc handle this.

It's heating in its current use by the law. But some ex players have called for it to be legalised was my point

tbh if they did in the first innings then it would be very unfair to the pakistani players.

I disagree that every team does it. There are too many camera's on a field and cheaters will get caught. The SA bowlers in the first test innings did nothing with the ball so it's clearly been decided that they would take this risk in ball tampering.

The ball was really badly scuffed in the first innings after like 20 overs and it will taint there win in this test for sure.

Kash, i think its fair to assume that most teams have done it loosely without any evidence, as players have come out and all but admitted it.....

But this case was shocking to the extreme - saffers to humilate pakistan decided to cheat their way to victory. Also, ive never ever seen trousers with zip pockets on them - have you guys??? This makes it come across as though it was deliberate and pre-planned.......

whats clear is that a 5 run penalty and a change of ball is enough..... action should be taken against the captain and the individuals concerned.........

"Almost all Pakistani fast bowlers have tampered with the ball. I may be the first one to openly admit to it but everybody is doing it," the maverick fast bowler has revealed in his just-published biography " Controversially Yours.""To be honest, every team in the world tampers with the ball. We probably started it but today koi team doodh ki dhooli nahin hain. No team is innocent and virtually every fast bowler does it. That is the only way to survive because the wickets are so slow.

- Sohab Akhtar

Also, ive never ever seen trousers with zip pockets on them - have you guys???
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I thought you use to wear them when you used to visit Canal Street in Manchester? Of course the ones you wore were leather and had a gap at the back.

Neon, what shoaib says doesnt justify it or make what saffers did today acceptable does it? Its cheating based on evidence.

we know shoaiby had run ins with his team mates - so would take his comments with a pinch of salt or two or three.......

Interesting that cricinfo arent taking any comments on the ball tampering issues..... facisnated to see what smith and co have got to say at the end of the game..... i suspect a team statement will be issued.

Agree, but it's difficult to start calling for bans and caking then cheats when it seems its across, to a certain degree, by fast bowlers around the world.

I reckon every team has been guilty of it.

Cannot do much mid way through a test. Move on..

I'm not saying do anything mid-way through it - but at the end of it, what action do you think will be taken and more importantly should be taken?

kash. ive no doubt most teams add stuff to the ball. ie sugar from sweets and you don't know what kind of suncream and stuff the players consistently add to the ball to change it.
Bob willis accused England of ball tampering before the ahes began earlier on in the year..
Ive no doubt most if not all teams tamper in someway with the cricket ball.

No wickets have fallen to quicks after change of ball. Interesting

I've added a link above.

That's a pretty conclusive clip. Even Keppler Wessels was embarrassed.

Look at fafs reaction, he knows he's been caught. Smith doesn't object much either.

I would have supported a Saffers protest if they believed they had been wrongly accused. But smith seemed to have accepted it right away. And no comments by CSA 2 hours after play either.

Same old ball-tampering and match-fixing (allegations) in Cricket. FFS, for the love God, ban this bloody sport from the planet earth.

Last person caught ball tampering (biting) was Afridi and he got a 2 game ban. Will Faf and Philander get the same? To be honest both are average one day players so it wont benefit us much.