Melbourne [Australia], Nov. 23 : South African stand-in skipper Faf du Plessis, who has been found guilty of ball tempering by the International Cricket Council (ICC), has pleaded his innocence, saying the verdict "opens up a can of worms".
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has called on the ICC to review their rules regarding ball tampering following the guilty verdict handed down to Du Plessis.
The 32-year-old was fined 100 percent of his match fee for breaching Article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct, but was cleared to play the day-night Test beginning Thursday at the Adelaide Oval.
"I still completely disagree with that," he said of the verdict. "I feel like I've done nothing wrong ... it's not like I was trying to cheat or anything. For me (ball tampering) is picking the ball, scratching the ball. Shining the ball, I think all cricketers would say, is not in the same place," Du Plessis was quoted as saying by news.com.au.
"I think it's such a grey area in the laws of cricket and I think it's something that now will be looked at.
I just think it's opened up a can of worms going forward. I felt I've done nothing wrong. I was shining the cricket ball. I've done it my whole career. To make such a big thing of it, I think it was just blown out of proportion by everyone," he further said.
The 32-year-old was found guilty after hearing representations and evidence from the umpires as well as Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) head of cricket John Stephenson and ICC match referee Andy Pycroft.
However, CSA now confirmed that the decision will be appealed. Earlier, the 32-year-old was charged by ICC Chief Executive David Richardson after the television footage had appeared showing him chewing a white lolly in his mouth, licking his finger on the mint before repeatedly shining and rubbing the ball during the fourth day's play of the Hobart Test.
Source: ANI
