Background for "The Ethics of Walking in Cricket"

This reading, by Anthony McGowan, introduces many approaches to ethics by asking what they would say about the ethics of walking in cricket.  But what is walking in cricket?  





Walking in cricket
The scenario McGowan discusses is this: you're the batsman (or woman) and the bowler bowls the ball.  It just slightly hits the edge of your bat and gets caught by the wicket keeper (pause at 1:22 to picture this).  You're out and therefore (maybe) you should walk off the pitch.  But nobody knows it but you!  The umpire didn't see it.  Do you have to admit you're out and walk off the pitch?

 

Other cases of "self-refereeing"
The Idaho survey presented similar scenarios.

• A soccer player broke the rules by tapping the ball with his hand, but the referee didn't see. Should he report himself?
• A volleyball player just barely taps a ball that then falls out of bounds, but the referee didn't see. Should she report herself?

Is there a duty to self-referee?

This is the question raised in all of the scenarios. The McGowan article looks at what major figures in the history of ethics might say.