Merv Hughes Shares His Own Ball Tampering Stories

(Image: Getty)

Larger than life ex-Aussie quick Merv Hughes was on Dead Set Legends this morning to talk about Triple M’s upcoming Test cricket coverage — Merv is going to be on the commentary team — and naturally the talk moved to ball tampering given Faf du Plessis’s charge.

Talking to Dale Lewis and Jude Bolton, big Merv revealed that there was no way he was going to be playing up as an Australian player while Captain Grumpy was in charge.

“Mate I tell you what, if we did any of that crap under Allan Border, Allan Border would kick our backsides,” Merv said.

“I think Allan Border was the most honest and respectful captain going around and if any of his players did anything untoward he was the one that brought the heat down.

“Mate, we were all scared of AB. I reckon there’s only two people I’ve ever been scared of — Dad and Allan Border.”

That doesn’t mean Merv didn’t get involved in the dark arts at the lower levels though.

“Playing in a club match — and I will name names — new ball for Footscray, I come on to bowl the third over of the day so my second over, and the ball’s been scratched up.

“I look around and say ‘who’s scratchin the ball?’ and Colin Miller says ‘I am!’

“‘You don’t scratch the new ball, you scratch the old ball you idiot! We’re trying to swing the new ball!’

“I just said to the umpire ‘can you tell him to stop scratching the ball please?’”