Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal charged with ball tampering by ICC

DUBAI - Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been charged with ball tampering.

The ICC tweeted the news, detailing that the captain was in breach of Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for 'changing the condition of the ball - the same charge levelled at Australia batter Cameron Bancroft during the infamous Cape Town Test in March.

The charge emerged from Sri Lanka’s second Test against the West Indies in St Lucia. Three other players have been recently charged under the same article of the code of conduct — Cameron Bancroft, Dasun Shanaka and Faf du Plessis.

BREAKING: Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been charged for breaching Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct.

More to come... #WIvSL pic.twitter.com/EGU278hZug

— ICC (@ICC) June 17, 2018

Sri Lanka agreed to keep playing the match on Saturday “under protest”.

On Saturday, a ball-tampering controversy threatened play on the third day of the second Test between the West Indies and Sri Lanka with only an hour's play possible on a bright, sunny morning after the Sri Lankans initially refused to take the field.

Following concerns raised by umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould about the condition of the ball nearing the end of the second day, the Sri Lankans were advised before the start of play on Saturday that they could not continue with the existing ball.

This resulted in Sri Lankan captain Dinesh Chandimal declining to lead his team onto the field with the West Indies set to continue their innings at 118 for two in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 253.

Animated discussions then ensued involving match referee Javagal Srinath and the Sri Lankan pair of coach Chandika Hathurusingha and team manager Asanka Gurusinha and it appeared for some time that the day's play at least and possibly the rest of the match might be in doubt.

After initially appearing to be prepared to resume the match, the Sri Lankan cricketers then hesitated even as they were making their way out to the middle.-APP