Faf du Plessis guilty of ball tampering but ICC lets him play Adelaide Test

Faf du Plessis, who is standing in as South Africa’s Test captain, was fined 100 per cent of the match fees and handed three demerit points by the International Cricket Council for ball tampering, after being found guilty of applying an artificial substance to the ball during the Hobart Test.

Faf du Plessis was fined 100 per cent match fees for ball tampering after South Africa’s stand-in skipper was found guilty of breaching Article 2.2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct. The 32-year-old batsman received three demerit points but is free to play the Adelaide Test which begins on Thursday.

Faf du Plessis was charged on Friday with ball-tampering in the second Test in Hobart. (Getty Images)

Fat du Plessis was charged on Friday with ball-tampering in the second Test in Hobart after footage emerged appearing to show the Proteas skipper applying saliva to the ball with a lolly in his mouth. du Plessis pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The elite panel of match referees didn’t hand du Plessis suspension points which could have led to a one-Test ban.

It is the second time du Plessis has been fined for ball-tampering, after he was docked 50 percent of his match fee in 2013 in the second Test against Pakistan. But match referee Andy Pycroft said it was treated as a first offence under the version of the ICC’s Code of conduct that came into force in September.

Faf du Plessis has not spoken publicly since the charge was laid but South African players have denounced the tampering allegation. South Africa’s anger at the treatment of du Plessis flared on Monday when a team security official manhandled a television reporter who tried to question the captain when the team arrived at Adelaide Airport. The players earlied mocked the controversy during the tour game against Victoria when pacers Kyle Abbott and Morne Morkel binged on candies and made a search for lollies left in their mouths.