- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
South Africa’s Faf du Plessis was fined 50 per cent of his match fee after pleading guilty to tampering with the ball during the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai.
South Africa were penalised five runs and umpires ordered the ball to be changed on Friday, and match referee David Boon of Australia swiftly summoned du Plessis.
“Du Plessis is fined 50 per cent of his match fee after breaching the ICC code of conduct on Friday,” the International Cricket Council announced on Saturday.
The 29-year-old is the first South African to be charged with ball tampering.
The incident took place in the 31st over of Pakistan’s second innings on Friday afternoon when du Plessis was seen on television rubbing the ball in the vicinity of the zip of his trouser pocket, the ICC said.
Boon said: “After discussions with du Plessis, he has elected not to contest that charge, but I am also satisfied that this was not part of a deliberate and/or prolonged attempt to unfairly manipulate the condition of the ball, and that the imposition of a fine of 50 per cent of his match fee is appropriate considering the circumstances.”
The ICC said the TV umpire, Australian Paul Reiffel brought the matter to the attention of the on-field umpires.
South African vice captain AB de Villiers backed du Plessis on Friday, saying: “Honestly, we’re not the team that scratches the ball.
“We play in a fair manner. Obviously we want to swing the ball as much as you can and try to get it to reverse. We don’t cheat, it’s as simple as that.
“I know ‘Faffy’ very well, he’s the last man to try anything like that, it is part of his responsibility to shine the ball and I thought he did it very well.”
But former Pakistan players have blasted the game’s governing body for taking what they saw as overly lenient action against du Plessis, saying a player from the sub-continent would have been banned.
Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar and Shahid Afridi and India’s Sachin Tendulkar have all been banned for ball tampering in the past, while Pakistan were docked five runs for tampering during the infamous Oval Test against England in 2006.
“I am surprised at the decision,” Akhtar told television. “Even if South Africa wins the Test, this match has become dirty.”
Akhtar, who was banned for two one-days and fined 75 per cent of his match fee for tampering during a tri-series in Sri Lanka in 2003, said that Pakistan have “no say” in the ICC.
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif was equally angry: “How can you give such a lenient decision on such a hard evidence. He should have been banned for six months at least and the captain Graeme Smith should also have been punished.
“I am sure had it been a Pakistani or a sub-continent player he would have been banned.”
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi said that he will protest the fine.
“PCB is writing letter to ICC seeking explanation of inconsistency by match referee in application of ball tampering rule to Afridi vs Faf,” tweeted Sethi, referring to Afridi’s ban for the same offence in Australia in 2010.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.