Former India captain says that unless sweets and lollipops are banned on the ground, such instances are inevitable (2:34)

Ganguly: Faf has been pulled-up for the right reasons (2:34)

Faf du Plessis, South Africa's stand-in captain, could be suspended for a Test match after being charged by the ICC over an alleged ball-tampering offence.

Du Plessis has pleaded not guilty and is seeking legal advice to further contest the charge. A hearing before match referee Andy Pycroft will be held, but a date for the hearing has not yet been set by the ICC.

The ICC confirmed in a statement on Friday that du Plessis had been charged for breaching Article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which relates to "changing the condition of the ball".

The ICC statement said: "The alleged incident happened on Tuesday morning when TV footage appeared to show du Plessis applying saliva and residue from a mint or sweet, an artificial substance, to the ball in an attempt to change its condition."

Level 2 breaches of the Code of Conduct carry a penalty of a fine of 50-100% of the match fee and/or up to two suspension points, and three or four demerit points. Two suspension points equates to one Test match.

The charge has been laid by ICC chief executive David Richardson. Cricket Australia did not make a complaint about the incident.