England pacer Brydon Carse has come under fire for an incident during the fourth Test at Old Trafford in Manchester, in which he looked to engage in questionable ball-handling. Numerous pundits and former players have witnessed the conduct, which is being considered as a possible instance of ball tampering, one of the most serious offenses in cricket.
The incident happened in the 12th over of India’s second innings, not long after Carse was hit for successive boundaries by Indian skipper Shubman Gill. Carse was observed stopping the Dukes ball in his follow-through by stepping down on it with substantial pressure rather than using his hands or foot as is customary because it was worn.
Carse’s motion was purposeful and strong, in contrast to many bowlers who frequently use their foot to stop the ball in stride. As spin is shortly to be added, former Australia captain Ricky Ponting noted in his match commentary that the move appeared to be an intentional attempt to scuff one side of the ball, possibly generating reverse swing later in the innings. The ball had lost a lot of its initial movement at that point, and Carse’s moves didn’t seem to be intended to save a run or stop a boundary.
“This is from Brydon Carse’s last over. This is something he does in his follow-through here. Stops the ball and does it, oops. A couple of big spikes into the shiny side of the ball,” Ponting said on live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Isn't that ball tampering #ICC ? #IndVsEng #shame
What's Brydon Carse is doing with the ball, you can hear Ricky Ponting talking about it here 👇🏻pic.twitter.com/ssnYCrAqqi
— Kanhaiya Lal Saran (@SaranKL_) July 27, 2025
Since ball tampering is now considered to be one of the most serious violations in cricket, both players and officials are extremely watchful for any dubious behavior.
Long-term suspensions and significant censure throughout the cricket community resulted from the notorious incident involving Steve Smith, David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft, who were discovered trying to change the ball’s condition with sandpaper.
