Former England batter Dawid Malan has sparked widespread debate after suggesting that ball-tampering should be legalised under controlled conditions to help balance bat and ball in modern cricket.
Malan, who retired from international cricket in 2024, made the remarks during a recent appearance on the BBC’s Strategic Timeout podcast, arguing that altering the ball has long been part of the game’s history and should be formally regulated rather than punished.
His comments came shortly after a ball-tampering controversy in the Pakistan Super League involving Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, with Zaman later receiving a two-match ban.
Malan insisted that legalising controlled ball manipulation could improve competitiveness, particularly in the death overs where batters currently dominate.
“Historically, throughout the game, people have been caught trying to tamper with the ball for years. It’s not a new thing,” Malan said.
“I actually think you should legalise it — just let people scratch the ball. Obviously, do not bring things in from outside. But it’s a skill in itself to get the ball to reverse swing.”
He added that allowing regulated ball alteration could make matches more balanced.
“I think it would make cricket more bowler-friendly towards the end. Batters are so skilled now that if you can get any advantage with the ball, you take it,” he said.
The discussion also revived memories of the 2018 ball-tampering scandal involving Australian players David Warner, Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, all of whom received lengthy bans for their involvement during a Test series in South Africa.
