WI vs SL: Captain Dinesh Chandimal pleads not guilty to 'sweet in pocket' charge

On Day 3 of the ongoing Windies and Sri Lanka Test at Gros Islet, the visitors delayed the game by two hours as umpires claimed that the Lankans changed the condition of the ball. However, the visiting team denied the claims and protested for two-long hours. At the delay, the umpires added five penalty runs and changed the ball.

The very next day, the ICC tweeted the news, detailing that the captain, Dinesh Chandimal was in breach of Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for ‘changing the condition of the ball’ – the same charge leveled at the Aussie opening batsman Cameron Bancroft during the infamous Cape Town Test in March.

However, Chandimal has pleaded not guilty. Javagal Srinath of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees will hold a hearing following the conclusion of the ongoing Test. On-field umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould, and third umpire Richard Kettleborough, all from the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires, had charged Chandimal after play on Saturday for changing the condition of the ball in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC Standard Test Match, ODI and T20I Playing Conditions.

The officials laid the charge after television footage from the final session’s play on Friday appeared to show the Sri Lankan captain taking sweets out from his left pocket and putting these in his mouth, before applying the artificial substance to the ball which the umpires viewed as an attempt to change its condition.

Video evidence will be used in the hearing, which will also be attended by the match officials as well as members of the Sri Lanka team management. All level 2 breaches carry an imposition of a fine between 50 per cent to 100 per cent of the applicable match fee and/or up to two suspension points, and three or four demerit points.

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