Sri Lanka skipper, officials banned for 2 Tests, 4 ODIs

COLOMBO: The International Cricket Council on Monday banned Sri Lanka skipper Dinesh Chandimal and two top officials for two Tests and four one-day internationals for breaching the spirit of the game.

Coach Chandika Hathurusingha, manager Asanka Gurusinha and Chandimal refused to take to the field for two hours during the second Test against the West Indies last month after the skipper was accused of ball-tampering.

Chandimal, spotted by television cameras applying saliva to the ball while sucking a sweet, was subsequently banned for the third Test and given a fine equal to his match fees, a decision upheld on appeal.

Hathurusingha, Gurusinha and Chandimal pleaded guilty to violating the spirit of the game and the chairman of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission decided on the new sanctions after a sixhour video conference on July 11.

The trio were also given six penalty points each.

Chandimal already had four penalty points. If he receives two more within the next two years, he could face a further ban of three Tests, or six ODIs or Twenty20s, or a combination thereof depending on which fixture falls first for him.

The three already sat out the first Test against South Africa at Galle, won convincingly by the hosts on Saturday inside three days, and have agreed not to be involved in the second and final Test starting on Friday.

The series against the visiting Proteas also includes five ODIs and one Twenty20.