Chandimal faces charge over ball tampering

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has been charged with “changing the condition of the ball” during the second Test against the West Indies, the International Cricket Council has announced.

The charge comes after a ball-tampering row during the ongoing match at Gros Islet in St Lucia.

West Indies were awarded five penalty runs after umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould raised concerns about the condition of the ball during the second day’s play on Friday.

That led to a protest from Sri Lanka and the tourists eventually took to the field for Saturday’s play two hours late.

A tweet from the ICC read: “Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal [pictured] has been charged for breaching Level 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct. More details to follow in due course.”

Prior to that, Sri Lanka Cricket had issued its own statement backing its players.

It read: “The team management has informed us that Sri Lankan players have not engaged in any wrongdoing during the ongoing [second] Test match played between Sri Lanka and West Indies.

“SLC shall take all necessary steps to defend any player, in the event any unwarranted allegation is brought against a member of the team.

“SLC reiterates its commitment to adhering to the laws of the game and upholding the spirit of the game. SLC stands firm in our commitment to protect the dignity of the national cricketers at all times.”

Chandimal scored a century as Sri Lanka posted 253 in their first innings at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground on Thursday.

West Indies replied with 300 and Sri Lanka were 34 for one in their second innings at the end of the third day.