St Lucia drama as ICC levels tampering charge

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has pleaded not guilty to a charge of using sweets to alter the condition of the ball in the ongoing Test against the West Indies in St Lucia.

He will front a hearing with match referee Javagal Srinath at the end of the Test where he will have his chance to defend the charge that has rocked the Sri Lankan camp and had them on the verge of forfeiting the match in protest.

The ICC released news Chandimal had pleaded not guilty at lunch on the fourth day of the Test, with Sri Lanka 4-136 and leading by 89 runs in a gripping contest.

Chandimal was charged by on-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould, and third umpire Richard Kettleborough, after play on Saturday, the third day of the Test, with changing the condition of the ball in breach.

The official charge is breaching Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, and the alleged change to the condition of the ball relates to clause 41.3 of the ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and T20I Playing Conditions.

The umpires charged Chandimal based on footage from Friday's final session of play, the Test's second day.

The footage "appeared to show the Sri Lanka captain taking sweets out from his left pocket and putting these in his mouth, before applying the artificial substance to the ball," the ICC said in a statement.

"The umpires viewed (that) as an attempt to change its condition."

The video will be used at Chandimal's hearing, with the umpires and Sri Lanka team management also to attend.

The charge amounts to a level 2 breach of the ICC's code of conduct, and if found guilty of the charge his maximum penalty under the current regulations amounts to a one-Test ban.

A level 2 charge can see players fined between 50 and 100 per cent of their match fee and/or up to two suspension points, and three or four demerit points.

Under the ICC's demerit point system, if a player collects four demerit points within a 24-month period, they are converted into suspension points and they will be banned. Two suspension points equate to a ban from one Test or two ODIs or two T20Is, whatever comes first for the player.

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The charge was not levelled until after the third day's play, but the drama began on the second afternoon when the umpires first spoke to Chandimal.

Then, ahead of the resumption on the third morning, umpires advised Sri Lanka they would be changing the ball and awarding five penalty runs to the West Indies.

That resulted in lengthy deliberations, with Chandimal refusing to lead his team onto the field.

Eventually the Sri Lankan took to the field “under protest” according to a statement released later by Sri Lanka Cricket, which denied the players had engaged in any wrongdoing.

Former Sri Lanka legend Kumar Sangakkara said he expected the current team to strenuously protest the charges.

"I know Chandika Hathurusingha (the Sri Lanka coach) and he will not take this lying down, he will go out there and be very strong and vociferous in presenting his case," Sangakkara said on Saturday.

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"The umpires themselves will have to be pretty certain using the cameras as well to see if they were justified in changing the ball and adding five penalty runs.

"I absolutely think umpires should be very strict on ball tampering. You saw what happened with Australia, they should have had harder sanctions years ago, it might not have led to sandpaper.

"But at the same time everyone needs to have perspective.

"Give a fair hearing, see what everyone has to see and then make a very objective position to what's happened and if it merits the sanctions they've already imposed or if any further action needs to be taken."