Pakistan forfeited a Test match at The Oval after umpire Darrell Hair penalized them five runs for ball tampering, leading to Pakistan refusing to take the field.
The fourth Test between England and Pakistan at The Oval in August 2006 produced one of cricket's most dramatic and controversial incidents. Umpire Darrell Hair, along with fellow umpire Billy Doctrove, judged that Pakistan had tampered with the ball and awarded five penalty runs to England, also replacing the ball.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq and his team were incensed by the accusation. After tea, Pakistan refused to take the field in protest against what they considered an unfair and insulting charge. When the players did not emerge, the umpires removed the bails and declared the match forfeited to England - the first forfeited Test in 129 years of Test cricket.
The fallout was enormous. Inzamam was charged with ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute. He was acquitted of ball tampering but found guilty of bringing the game into disrepute and received a four-match ban. Darrell Hair was widely criticized for his handling of the situation and was later removed from the ICC's elite umpiring panel.
In February 2009, the ICC changed the result of the match from a forfeit to a draw, recognizing that the situation had been badly handled by all parties. However, in 2008, the ICC changed it back to an England win. The incident remained deeply controversial and highlighted tensions between the ICC, umpires, and teams about ball-tampering protocols.
Match initially forfeited (first in Test history). Inzamam banned 4 matches for bringing game into disrepute but acquitted of ball tampering. Umpire Hair later removed from ICC panel.
Cricket Canada
12 May 2026
ICC suspended six months of funding to Cricket Canada over governance failures and financial misreporting — 63% of their total revenue.
Multiple franchises
8 May 2026
The IPL's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) submitted a formal report to the BCCI in May 2026 flagging "certain anomalies" observed across the league stage: unauthorised persons had been seen in the team dugout, on the team bus, and at team hotels during IPL matches in apparent breach of anti-corruption Standard Operating Procedures. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal confirmed the report publicly and warned that "very stringent action" would be taken if violations continued. Separately, the BCCI tightened protocols after reports that certain franchise owners had been seen mingling with players in restricted areas — a specific interaction prohibited under the anti-corruption framework.
Various county sides
1865-08-01
Despite MCC's attempts to reduce gambling on cricket through the 1840s and 1850s, county cricket in the 1860s still operated in a culture where betting was widespread and where allegations of arranged results circulated freely among those closest to the game. Several county fixtures of the decade generated suspicion among contemporaries that the outcome had been agreed in advance, though the absence of formal investigation meant that no players were ever charged.