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.
formeropenside
Guest
cricket is not what it was;, and yeah, that makes me sad
Vic
Guest
I apologize for my erroneous assumptions, Morkel's engagement to a Channel 9 reporter is all over the news - that's good news, right? Maybe now SA will get slightly more positive coverage.......
JGK
Roar Guru
To translate bek's post - the zip was on his pocket, not his fly.
To make it more interesting, it we the pocket that had the zipper.
Vic
Guest
No Red Kev, I was also stumped by that - must be a Gen Y thing....
ChrisUK
Guest
Tell you what, when South Africans start walking, you can climb that particular high horse.
ChrisUK
Guest
Nor that South Africa got stuffed in the first Test.
Clark
Guest
Add to that lot the endless amount of articles bad mouthing the English team despite getting rolled in the last Ashes series.
Red Kev
Guest
Australia produce the best umpires for cricket. Just like RSA produces the best rugby referees.
Red Kev
Guest
Am I the only one that wants to know why his pants have a zipper? My whites never had a zip or any buttons.
captainBokster!
Guest
Lol aussies always taking the high road to bad there current crop of players can't match there arrogance on the field...never a dull moment with u lot
Bazza
Guest
Wow formeropenside - "ashamed" - really? You should get a life son, no need to wear the world's ills on your shoulders.
Bazza
Guest
We'll said, BB - let's never forget Warne and Mark Waugh being bribed by bookies, Warne taking masking drugs, under arm bowling and forty years + of Aussie umpires umpiring Australia!! I don't think Aussies should be commenting on this.
Vic
Guest
1994 Atherton vs SA -accused of ball tampering fined 2000 pounds 2000-Wacar Yunis vs Sri lanka. - accused of tampering 2001tendulkar vs SA - accused of tampering suspended 1 game 2006 Pakistan vs eng - accused of tampering penalised 5 runs, refused to continue game, game forfeited to Eng 2010 Broad and Anderson vs SA - accused of tampering 2010 Afridi vs SA- accused of tampering banned 2 matches 2012 Aus vs Sri Lanka- accused of tampering And du Plessis should be banned for life?
Clark
Guest
To be honest, this didn't really change the fact that South Africa completely outplayed Pakistan from day 1 and will hopefully do the same to India who will once again be rubbish outside the sub continent. This has always been interesting for mine. Personally I wish they would just allow ball tampering in order to get the ball doing things in a batsmen dominated game ( maybe leave the stitching alone though to avoid constant replacement), because in theory, shouldn't shining a ball also be considered "tampering" too?
Vic
Guest
As said before BB, sad but true. Of course those players who don't walk when clearly out, and those who provide "weather reports" to Indian bookmakers aren't cheats
Agree Vic, only the news that can bag a south African player makes the news in OZ.
JGK
Roar Guru
You sound like Tony Abbott on expenses rorts!
formeropenside
Guest
Should be banned for life for this. Mind you, so should Murali - Meckiff paid a hard price, but it cleaned actions up for 30 years. I'm ashamed that this does not call for a life ban.
Vic
Guest
Not a single article or comment on 2 great matches between SA and Pak, with excellent play by several players from both sides, just the negative articles on du Plessis and Botha. No articles about big bully boy India prescribing to SA which officials they can employ?If you really believe no one else in the world have done a bit of ball tampering, Aus included, you haven't watched much cricket