Sri Lanka's cricket administrators are unlikely to impose their own separate sanctions upon Dinesh Chandimal, and remain adamant that there was no intent to tamper with the ball during the St Lucia Test earlier this month. This even though the ICC found Chandimal guilty of the offence.

Chandimal has already served a one-match ban for the tampering, and is likely to receive further punishment over a Spirit of Cricket charge due to the team's refusal to take the field for two hours on day three. Although sports minister Faiszer Mustapha, under whose oversight SLC is temporarily functioning, said he was "disturbed" by the team's decision to delay play, he suggested the ICC sanctions alone would be sufficient.

"My aim was not to tamper, and that's why I appealed against the ICC. I know - and my team-mates know - that I didn't do anything wrong" Dinesh Chandimal

This is in contrast to Cricket Australia's banning of three players over the tampering incident that occurred in South Africa earlier this year. The circumstances here are different though. Not only is the Sri Lankan cricket establishment taking the view that there was no intent to tamper on Chandimal's part, there is also little public appetite for Chandimal to be banned for a long time. In fact, there is more public disappointment in the team's delaying of the game for two hours, than about the tampering itself. In any case, Chandimal is expected to resume leadership of the Sri Lanka Test side the moment his suspensions are served.

"Sri Lanka Cricket and the ministry of sports worked on the premise that Chandimal was innocent," Mustapha said. " As you know, when there is adjudication, we have to respect it. Chandimal had allegations made against him, and there was due process. There was a certain order. We appealed against it, and we respect the decision.