Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal has been charged by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for ball-tampering during the 2nd Test match against West Indies in St Lucia.
Confirming the development, the ICC shared the information on their official Twitter accounting stating that the Lankan captain have been charged for breaching the Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Here’s the post:
On second day of the second Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka, the on-field umpires suspected ball-tampering during the last session. They went on to call up Lanka fielder Dhananjaya de Silva, who was given the responsibility to shine the ball and even tested the shape of the ball using the rings.
On day 3, the umpires apparently had a problem with the condition of the ball. Following that, they instructed the ball to be changed before the start of play. This did not go down well with the Sri Lankan cricketers, who refused to take the field.
As Chandimal & Co. remained inside the dressing room well after the scheduled start of play, match referee Javagal Srinath intervened into the matter. On the other hand, West Indies were awarded five penalty runs after the Sri Lankan players refused to take the field for about 90 minutes to scheduled time.
What is Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct?
Article 2.2.9 states, “It’s an offence to change the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket as modified by ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and Twenty 20 International Match Playing Conditions clause 42”.
(The unlawful ball tampering constitutes an offence under Article 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct. The offences mentioned in Article 2 are divided into four levels. Each level warrants a different set of sanctions, with ball tampering constituting a Level 2 offence.)