Faf du Plessis has been found guilty of ball-tampering and fined his entire match fee from the second Test against Australia in Hobart, but the South Africa captain has been cleared to play in this week’s third and final match of the series.
Du Plessis received the punishment following a lengthy International Cricket Council (ICC) hearing in Adelaide, Australia, yesterday, two days ahead of South Africa’s first day-night Test at the Adelaide Oval.
The 32-year-old, standing in for injured regular skipper A.B. de Villiers, was charged by the ICC on Friday last week after footage emerged that appeared to show the Proteas skipper applying saliva to the ball while sucking on a mint.
After hearing representations and evidence from the umpires at last week’s second Test, as well as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) head of cricket John Stephenson, ICC match referee Andy Pycroft found Du Plessis guilty.
The London-based MCC remains the copyright holder for the laws of cricket.
Three demerit points had also been added to Du Plessis’s disciplinary record, the governing body added.
Du Plessis, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, had previously been sanctioned for ball-tampering after a Test against Pakistan in 2013.
The Proteas have wrapped up the three-match series in Australia with a game to spare after routing the hosts by an innings and 80 runs in the Hobart Test.
The ball-tampering charge angered the South African camp and senior batsman Hashim Amla launched an impassioned defense of Du Plessis on Friday last week.
The Proteas management complained on Monday that Du Plessis had been subject to “harassment” by Australian media after a TV reporter was involved in a physical confrontation with a team security guard at Adelaide airport.
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