ABSTRACT
In late 2001 and early 2002, the cricketing world was rocked by a scandal which, for many, went to the very existence of the game and the rule of law within the sport. The catalyst for the firestorm of debate and disagreement appeared to circulate around allegations concerning Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar. A more complete review and analysis of events, however, raises questions not just about law and order in the world of cricket, but also as to the very legal taxonomies which can and do inform our understandings of the game. In other words, while the debate on the surface and in part of its reality concerned a finding by an ICC Match Referee that Tendulkar had in fact tampered with the seam of a ball, other issues of equal import must be taken into account if we are to begin to understand the legal and other questions raised by the case. At issue here are, in no particular order, the internal politics of power within the ICC, tensions and feelings which still surround the idea that ‘white’ ICC officials are biased against cricketers of colour, the independence of cricket’s judicial authorities, and respect for the integrity of decision-making processes and the rule of law within cricket.
