THE STORY
During the first Test between England and South Africa at Lord's in July 1994, England captain Michael Atherton was filmed appearing to rub dirt from his pocket onto the ball. Atherton claimed he used the dirt to dry his hands, not to alter the ball's condition. He was fined £2,000 for failing to disclose the dirt to the match referee. (independent.co.uk)
TEAMS / PEOPLE:
Michael Atherton
WHY IT MATTERS
This incident marked one of the first high-profile ball-tampering controversies in cricket, highlighting the game's ongoing challenges with maintaining the ball's condition.