Match officials who dislike Sri Lanka refusing to take the field after accusing Chandimal for ball tampering ... take revenge on Chandimal!

​Match officials who dislike Sri Lanka refusing to take the field after accusing Chandimal for ball tampering ... take revenge on Chandimal!

Captain Dinesh Chandimal was accused for ball tampering yesterday while fielding in the second day of the second test played at St. Lousia Darren Samy grounds between Sri Lanka and the West Indies team. As a consequence a decision has been arrived at to suspend the match and to withhold payment of match fee.

On a previous day a serious accusation was made against the captain of the Sri Lankan team, the coach and manager under level 3 by the ICC for having protesting against the umpires and refusing to

bring the players to the grounds. If the inquiry proves positive, 4 upto 8 matches would be suspended or further punishment would be imposed, it was announced.

Chandimal who faces this allegation rejects it and he is provided the opportunity of making an appeal in this connection within 48 hours, it is reported. Chandimal faced the inquiry last evening with participation of match referee of the ICC, former Indian player Jawarhal Shrinath and match umpires with the assistance of television cameras relevant to the said incident and what Chandimal said was that it was a usual thing for him to use such things as toffee or chewing gum and that it was not with a wrong intention that he engaged in chewing something like that in this particular instance.

Whatever it is, subsequent to this inquiry the ICC has resolved to prohibit Chandimal from acting as captain of the Sri Lankan team in the match played against the West Indies team from last night. Apart from that, match referee has decided to charge the entire fee paid to him as a form of fine and to impose 2 suspension points. What the international cricket committee say is that the Sri Lankan captain resorted to changing the condition of the ball contradictory to the accepted methodology of polishing the ball. The international cricket committee say that it is against the accepted standards  to polish the ball using spit after inserting a toffee retained in the pocket  ... into the mouth. As the chief administrator of international administrative board, David Richardson has stated he totally approves the decision of the match referee. As a result the situation has turned into a more complicated level.

In any case, since Dinesh Chandimal completely refutes this accusation, there is possibility that this inquiry is to proceed as far as an independent inquiry. Prior to this accusation was levelled at South African Test captain, Faff du Plessis for ball tampering by polishing the ball with some type of preservative and though he challenged the international cricket council for their decision, he was found guilty at that independent inquiry. It was for an allegation of this nature that Australian cricket captain Steve Smith and vice-captain David Warner had to leave their positions by sobbing in public.

It is said that in the over where preparations were taking place to call Lahiru Kumara to bowl, the ball was retrieved from Kusal Mendis and Chandimal had begun to scamper towards the direction at the bowling-end where Lahiru Kumara was by tossing a toffee or chewing-gum picked from his pocket with his left pocket and Chandimal who thus joins Lahiru Kumara begins to polish the ball with spit he hands over the ball in such a short period of one-tenths of a second and finally runs back to his position. This then s the only instance seen in the video as testimony where Chandimal tampers with the ball and it is the opinion of cricketing fans that it is not a strong incidence of evidence as such.

This in reality is not its beginning incident, an incident where Dhananjaya Silva of the Sri Lankan team who proceeds towards the boundary line has his hands checked by Ian Gul in suspicion and is warned by him is reported. Accordingly the following day morning initially the umpires throw allegations that the ball was tampered with and award 5 penalty points. As a team the Sri Lankan players therefore protested against it. Thereafter the Sri Lankan team carry out a strike against the match being played y delaying coming to the grounds. In the process the umpires have once again scrutinised the relevant scenes and as if to somehow or other involve Chandimal had directed the blame on him. Whatever it is, the reason for the strike launched by Chandimal and his team mates was that things which the umpires ares supposed to have confirmed from camera footage have not been brought to the observation of the Sri Lankan management. Later, the match referee has taken steps to provide it to manager Asanka Gurusingha.

It is understood that ICC stalwarts such as Alin Dar and Ian Gul as well as Jawarhal Shrinath not being prepared to withdraw their allegations and thus face defeat is the reason for this issue to become aggravated. It is also in that manner that an unanticipated accusation falls on the shoulders of Dinesh Chandimal.