Managing Risk and Law in Sports: Integrity and the Australian Scandal

This report delves into the critical intersection of risk management and legal frameworks within the realm of sports, with a specific focus on the 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal. The report begins by establishing the importance of ethics and integrity in sports, emphasizing the need for players to adhere to rules and ethical conduct. The case study analyzes the actions of the Australian cricket team, highlighting the consequences of breaching integrity, including player suspensions and reputational damage. The report further explores the role of law in maintaining integrity, emphasizing the importance of codes of conduct, policies, and legal provisions in guiding player behavior and providing a framework for addressing ethical violations. It underscores how these legal instruments provide clarity, establish expectations, and facilitate decision-making in cases of misconduct. The report concludes by reaffirming the essential role of law and ethical guidelines in promoting fair play and upholding the integrity of sports.

Managing Risk and
Law in Sports
Running head: MANAGING RISK & LAW IN SPORTS
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MANAGING RISK & LAW IN SPORTS 1

MANAGING RISK & LAW IN SPORTS 2
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal..........................................................................................2
Role of Integrity In sports................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
Ethics is an important area of study whenever it comes to conduct. Every person is
required to maintain a level of ethics and to adhere to good practice in the profession. Different
features and factors come under the category of ethics and integrity and honesty are one of the
important ones. There is no formal definition of integrity but in includes moral characteristics
such as honesty, honor and other ethics. Integrity can be understood as one of the fundamental
value of individuals. Not only in personal life but in professional life too, people are required and
expected to have integrity in their behavior and practice. Here professional ethics play an
important role. According to professional ethics, people are required to maintain dignity and
integrity while performing their profession (Immigration advisers authority, 2019). Similar to
every other profession, integrity is also required to be maintained in sports. In the context of
sport, the principle of integrity demands players to play their game with rules and to not be
involved in unethical practices. The scope of integrity in sports is very wide and it includes all
the ethics and values related to person as well as to others.
Over the past few decades, many of the cases of integrity breach in sports have been
reported there. For the preparation of this report, one such case has been taken. The case is recent
as happened in 2018 and known as 2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal. In addition to this
scandal, the role law in maintaining integrity in sports will also be discussed.
2018 Australian ball-tampering scandal
The selected scandal is also known as Sandpapergate scandal. The scandal is related to
Men’s Australian national cricket team. The scandal reported during the third test match of the

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Australian team with the team of South Africa that held in Cape Town. 24 March 2018 was the
third test of the third test match of the series (Thestatesman, 2018).
Cameron Bancroft, one of the cricketers of the Australian team tried to rough up the
single side of the ball with some yellow thing to make the same in flight. This action of Cameron
has been recorded and notice through the television camera. He did not stop here and tried hiding
the small object with his trousers. This activity too has been recorded and shown on the
television. When umpires called him and asked about the small object he showed a pouch of
sunglasses. On the inspection of the ball, umpires have decided to not to offer the ball to another
team and not to award any penalty runs under the law of cricket. This action of umpires indicated
that no significant alteration in any noticeable way has been made to the ball. At the day end
press conference, Cameron stated that it was a yellow adhesive tape (Telegraph., 2018). After a
proper investigation by Cricket Australia in this incident the subjective cricketer accepted that it
was sandpaper, not the yellow adhesive paper. This sandpaper use this sandpaper for
maintenance of their bats.
Steve Smith, captain of the team and David warner, vice-caption of the team also been
guilty and involved in the scandal. Smith accepted that he was already aware of the plan of
Cameron and also confirmed that his action was planned during lunch break. All the three
players have been charged for the breached of article 2.3.5 of cricketer Australia code of conduct
as their conduct was in against of the spirit of the game (Cricket, 2018). Further, their conduct
was not likely of an official. Apart from this, the strategy made and actions were taken by these
players could be held harmful for the interest of cricket and the same brought the game into
disrepute. In conjunction with the collective charge, three of the players were also provided
individual reasons for these charges. Starting from Steve Smith, this is to state that the person

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held liable for the breach of Article 2.3.5 of the Cricket Australia code of conduct as he had the
full knowledge of the plan of making artificial alteration with the ball. He misled other officials
about the action of Cameron. He also misled public comments regarding nature and participants
of the ball-tampering plan.
David Warner has been charged with a stated article for the reason as he instructed his
junior player to develop and carry a plan, which was against the rule as well as ethics of the
game. Further, the person had full knowledge of the unethical plan yet the same took no efforts
to prevent the action. He also failed to provide a voluntary report of his knowledge liable for the
charges as he concealed the plan form other officers and let that happened. Lastly, Cameron has
been charged for breach of the same article being the lead party of the scandal who actually
performed the action. Further, he concealed his action at first place i.e. in press conferee
happened on the same matchday.
It is necessary to inform here that a small action turned into a big scandal as polishing the
ball from one side can help the fielding side achieve "reverse swing” (Bbc, 2018). This action
manipulates runs and wickets and ultimately a whole game. In such a manner it is clear that
Australian players made significant alternation to modify the situation of the ball in their favor
which is a clear case of breach of sport integrity. ICC Code of Conduct contains some the actions
that a cricket player cannot do to the ball and scratch the surface of the same with fingernails of
any other object is one of such actions (Abc, 2018). By doing this, they did not only breached the
rule of law and their ethics but also the trust of billions of their fans.
Cricket Australia reviewed and considered the condition of all three players, their actions, and
their guilty and decided the punishment for them. As a result of the issue, Tim Paine, another
Australian cricketer has made the captain of the team for test series.

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Apart from these people, Darren Lehmann, coach of the team also been defamed. Further,
Cameron has been charged with Level 2 offense as he attempted to make alteration with the
condition of the ball. In order to discuss the key findings of scandal, this is to state that both of
the captains i.e. Smith and Warner have been banned for 12 months from all domestic as well as
from international matches (Thecricketer, 2019). Further, Smith and Cameron been banned from
leading Australian cricket for a period of minimum 12 months after the expiry of their
suspension period. It was also been given that any future leadership of these two players would
be subject to acceptance by the public and fans. David Peever, Chairman of Cricket Australia
marked this scandal as a question mark on the integrity of Australia Cricket. He showed his hope
in respect to return of player with integrity after their suspension period (Timesofindia, 2018).
Only players have not been suffered in the whole scenario, but it was the whole Australian
Cricket team that has been defamed.
Role of Integrity In sports
After the above-mentioned discussion, it is far clear that even a small incident can lead to
serious consequences for the players. Because of a small integrity breach, three good players of
the Australian team have been defamed and banned from the games for a specific period. The
breach was related to Australia cricket nevertheless integrity is important in each of the sports.
Now the issue is to know the manner in which integrity can be maintained in sports. Similar to
every other profession, sports also consists of some laws and code of conducts that are expected
to adhere by players. Different sports have different code of conducts as well as laws. Apart from
these, the association of sports also develops certain policies that members of that sport i.e.
players are required to comply with. For instance, Football Federation Australia has developed

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national Member protection policy for its members. The policy includes a code of behavior,
compliant handling procedure, reporting requirement, and other provisions (Ffa, 2016).
Similarly, Motorcycling Australia also has its member protection policy. In this manner, it is
clear that every sports organization is developing its focus on ethics, integrity, and moral
practices.
By using these policies and code of conducts, integrity can be maintained up to a good
level. These policies stipulate the manner in which players are required to work. In other words,
to say, code of conduct and sports policies provides a standard manner of working to players. It
is far clear that ethics are important and should be developed into practice. Nevertheless,
sometimes players face issues while maintaining integrity, as they remain unsure about their
action. In such a situation, policies, as well as code of ethics, help them with a particular action.
Here this is necessary to state that these laws also contain provisions of penalties and fines that
spread fear among the player. Imagine a situation where only provisions related to the manner of
working is there but nothing about what will happen in case of breach is mention. In this
situation, there will be no motivation to not to do a particular unethical task. Law plays the same
role in maintaining integrity sports as it maintains good values in society. In the context of the
discussed scandal, this is to state that the guilty players got the punishment because a proper law
was there. If no such law was there then there would have no ground to grant them punishment.
Discrimination, child misuse, sexual harassment, drug in sports is some of the acts that can
happen in regular practices of sports. If a well-established law would be there, the player will be
able to understand the expectation of a sports association as well as public at large keeps.
Further, their actions will be managed according to instructions of guidelines as policies as a
breach of any such provision would lead to penalties.

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These rules and laws are not helpful for players but also for decision-makers as well. In
case of existing of a law or policy, they remain aware of an ethical and unethical situation and
make a difference. While evaluating a case of integrity breach, decision-makers such as the
board of the game can take these laws, rules, and regulations as a reference. One of the
significant reasons behind the huge significance of law in maintaining integrity in sport is that
makes the scope of terms clear (Mokarrami, & Zare, 2017). As mentioned earlier, integrity is
wider term and no specific definition of the same is there hence in the absence of law, this cannot
be determined that whether an action will be counted as a breach or not.
Conclusion
In a conclusive way, this is to state that integrity has important place in each sport as it
prevent unethical practices. Further integrity also turns the mutual relationship of parties in a
positive mode. One of the major and recent scandals has been discussed in this report where
three of Australian players got punishment in the form of suspension. The incident and its
consequences reflects the important of maintaining integrity in itself. Further in the second
section of the report important of law to maintain sports integrity has been discussed. To
conclude this is to state that law provides an outlines regarding requirement and implementation
of integrity in practice and therefore law related to ethics and integrity must be there in each
sport.

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References
Abc. (2018). Steve Smith under fire: Here's how the ball-tampering scandal unfolded. Retrieved
from: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-25/how-cricket-ball-tampering-incident-
unfolded/9584618
Bbc. (2018). Ball-tampering row: Australia captain Steve Smith banned for one Test and fined.
Retrieved from: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/43531491
Cricket. (2018). Trio suspended by Cricket Australia. Retrieved from:
https://www.cricket.com.au/news/steve-smith-cameron-bancroft-david-warner-charged-
cricket-australia-tampering-renshaw-burns-maxwell/2018-03-28
Ffa. (2016). Football Federation Australia National Member Protection Policy. Retrieved from:
https://www.ffa.com.au/sites/ffa/files/2017-09/National%20Member%20Protection
%20Policy.pdf
Immigration advisers authority. (2019). Professional ethics and codes of conduct. Retrieved
from: https://www.iaa.govt.nz/for-advisers/adviser-tools/ethics-toolkit/professional-
ethics-and-codes-of-conduct/
Mokarrami, M., & Zare, A. (2017). Role Of Rules And Regulations On Ethics And Sport
Integrity. International Sports Law Review Pandektis, 12.
Telegraph. (2018). Australian cricket ball tampering scandal: Sandpaper, lies and tears - how
the controversy unfolded. Retrieved from:

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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/0/australian-cricket-ball-tampering-scandal-
sandpaper-lies-tears/cameron-bancroft-carried-tampering-using-yellow-adhesive-tape/
Thecricketer. (2019). Smith banned for a year and stripped of Australia captaincy, Warner also
gets 12 months. Retrieved from:
https://www.thecricketer.com/Topics/international_australia/smith_banned_for_a_year_a
nd_stripped_of_australia_captaincy,_warner_also_gets_12_months.html
Thestatesman. (2018). Cricket Australia investigation into ball-tampering scandal: everything
you need to know. Retrieved from: https://www.thestatesman.com/sports/cricket-
australia-investigation-ball-tampering-scandal-everything-need-know-1502613312.html
Timesofindia. (2018). Ball-tampering scandal: Full text of Cricket Australia statement.
Retrieved from: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/australia-in-south-
africa/ball-tampering-scandal-full-text-of-cricket-australia-statement/articleshow/
63515651.cms