Du Plessis appeal to take place before Christmas
FAF du Plessis’ appeal against his guilty verdict for ball tampering will take place on December 19.
Michael Beloff QC has been appointed judicial commissioner to hear the appeal while he is also the chairman of ICC’s Code of Conduct Commission.
Beloff was also part of the independent tribunal that found the Pakistan trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir guilty of spot-fixing during 2010 Lord’s Test.
South Africa captain Du Plessis was found guilty of balltampering and fined his entire match fee from the recent Test against Australia at Hobart.
ICC chief executive David Richardson had charged Du Plessis on the basis of TV footage that “appeared to show him applying saliva and residue from a mint or sweet, an artificial substance, to the ball in an attempt to change its condition”.
Du Plessis, 32, launched is appeal three days after the November 22 charge with Cricket South Africa supporting his decision. They hope for clarity from the ICC over what constituted an “artificial substance” in rules pertaining to polishing the ball. The MCC said the South Africa captain’s actions “flagrantly contravened the law”. But the MCC World Cricket Committee decided that rules relating to ball tampering – which state it is acceptable to “polish the ball provided no artificial substance is used” – do not need changing. It needs to be cleared up and fast, otherwise more players may be found guilty.