(Reuters) – Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been suspended for the third and final test against West Indies after being found guilty of changing the condition of the ball in the second test, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said today.
Chandimal was charged during the test in St Lucia after video evidence indicated that he was taking sweets out from his pocket, putting them in his mouth, before applying saliva to the ball within the space of a few seconds.
“After reviewing the footage of the incident, it is clear that Dinesh applied an artificial substance to the ball, namely saliva containing the residue of something he had in his mouth, an action which is prohibited under the ICC Code of Conduct,” match referee Javagal Srinath said in a statement.
“During the hearing, Dinesh admitted to putting something in his mouth but couldn’t remember what it was, which I found unconvincing as a defence and the fact remains it was an artificial substance.”
To make matters worse for Sri Lanka, Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager Asanka Gurusinha were charged by the ICC for “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game”.
The trio were involved in the team’s refusal to take the field on the third morning of the test, which caused a two-hour delay in the start of play.
“If any of the three plead not guilty, then the ICC, as per Article 5.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, will appoint a Judicial Commissioner from its Code of Conduct Commission to determine the matter,” ICC said in a statement.
“All Level 3 breaches carry an imposition of between four and eight suspension points.”