The Sri Lankan skipper Dinesh Chandimal along with two officials have agreed to sit out the Test series against South Africa pending sanctions, the International Cricket Council said on Thursday.
Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusingha, and manager Asanka Gurusinha had pleaded guilty to infringing the spirit of cricket in the second Test last month during Sri Lanka’s second Test against the West Indies. The ICC said a judicial committee hearing ended overnight, hours before the first Test against the visiting South Africans was due to start at Galle on Thursday, but a decision would be announced: “in due course.”
ICC said on Twitter, “Hearing concludes. Judicial Commissioner to announce the decision in due course. In the interim, Chandimal, Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha, who have pleaded guilty, have agreed not to participate in both Tests v SA. This will be credited against the sanction imposed by the commissioner.”
Hearing concludes. Judicial Commissioner to announce decision in due course. In the interim, Chandimal, Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha, who have pleaded guilty, have agreed not to participate in both Tests v SA. This will be credited against sanction imposed by commissioner.
— ICC Media (@ICCMediaComms) July 11, 2018
The three were charged by ICC chief executive David Richardson as they were involved in the Sri Lankan team’s refusal to take the field in St. Lucia on the third day of the second Test, which caused a two-hour delay in the start of play.
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Sri Lankans were protesting the award of five runs to the West Indies after Chandimal was found tampering with the cricket ball during the previous day’s play. Dinesh missed the third and final Test after losing his appeal against a one-match ban and a fine equal to his match fees.
Match referee Javagal Srinath had said Chandimal applied an artificial substance to the ball in breach of the ICC Code of Conduct. Chandimal was suspected of using saliva from a sweetener that he had in his mouth to tamper with the ball in an attempt to make it spin more. His act was caught by TV cameras.
