Re:
Agree Agree and Agree but will add this. Didn't British Cycling use illegal equipment at the Olympics? All the bikes used in Rio have been sold or given away for scrap metal. Very interesting.Alex Simmons/RST said:IOW you can't pick at it with your nails, teeth, or use any other object or substance than what the player naturally produces (i.e. saliva, sweat) and rubbing on clothing*.
Using sandpaper to roughen the ball is cheating plain and simple. In this case it was worse because it was premeditated, planned by the captain and vice captain and delegated to a junior member to execute. Then when found out further attempts to cover up were made.
I'd equate it to planning to tamper with your opponents bikes to put them at a disadvantage, sending one of you new domestique riders to do the dirty work and them attempting to cover it up when a media camera caught them in the act.
* It wouldn't surprise me to learn some player's clothing is made with rough surfaces in strategic locations. That would be akin to British Cycling using illegal equipment since clothing is provider by the cricket team's administration.