Sri Lanka captain Chandimal, coach Hathurusinghe banned for four ODIs, two Tests for ball tampering

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal, coach Chandika Hathurusinghe and manager Asanka Gurusinha on Monday were suspended for the first four One-day Internationals and two Test matches against South Africa for tampering with the ball during the tour of the West Indies earlier this year.

The trio were handed the punishment after they pleaded guilty to “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game”. The independent Judicial Commissioner, The Hon Michael Beloff QC, handed the trio eight suspension points, which means they will miss the first four ODIs along with both the Tests against South Africa.

The three were charged by the ICC Chief Executive David Richardson on June 19 and had pleaded guilty to breaching Level 3, Article 2.3.1, which relates to conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game, during last month’s St Lucia Test against the West Indies.

According to an ICC statement, the Chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission had held a hearing over video conference on July 11 to determine the sanction, and, after more than six hours of hearing, which was attended by legal counsels of both the sides, had reserved his decision.

During the hearing, however, it was mutually agreed that, since the minimum sanction for a Level 3 offence was suspension from two Tests, the trio will not participate in the Galle Test (played from July 12-14) and Colombo Test (to be played from July 20-24), and these will be credited against the sanction imposed by the Judicial Commissioner.

“As eight suspension points equate to a ban from two Tests and four ODIs/T20Is or eight ODIs/T20Is, whatever comes first for the player or player support personnel, the Judicial Commissioner’s ruling means the three will also remain suspended for the Dambulla ODIs (29 July and 1 August) as well as the Kandy ODIs (5 and 8 August),” the statement read.

Six demerit points have also been added to the disciplinary records of Chandimal, Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha. The sanction relates to an incident where the 28-year-old Chandimal was found guilty of changing the condition of the ball during the second day’s play of the second Test against West Indies at Gros Islet last month.

He was spotted applying saliva containing the residue of something he had in his mouth to the ball during the Test in St Lucia.