Video: Vernon Philander tampering the ball in 1st Test against Sri Lanka at Galle

Vernon Philander was fined 75% of his match fee for ball tampering

South Africa’s recent Test win in Sri Lanka was marred by ball-tampering controversy, with pacer Vernon Philander being fined 75% of his match fee. Philander is the 2^nd South African in previous 9 months to be fined for ball-tampering, after Faf du Plessis was fined 50% of his match fee for the same offence against Pakistan in UAE last October.

In the 1^st Test at Galle on Day 3, Ten Sports, the official broadcasters, picked up footage of Philander working on the ball with his finger and thumb, digging his nails on the rough side of the cherry and covering the ball with one hand, while ‘working on it’ with the other. The pacer later pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined.

ESPNCricinfo later reported that there was pressure on Ten Sports from South African cricket board to not air the footage of Philander tampering with the ball, as it would cast the Proteas in bad light. However, with the broadcasters bound by Sri Lanka Cricket, having signed a $60 million deal up to 2020, they eventually showed the footage on live television after the Sri Lankan board made it clear that they wanted the images aired.

The footage was shown on Day 5, 48 hours after the offence.

The incident happened on the afternoon of Day 3 and was picked up by the broadcasters, who showed it to ICC match referee Jeff Crowe during the tea break. Unable to bring the footage to on-field umpires’ notice while the play was going on, all match officials viewed the incident after end of day’s play and decided to bring the charge on Philander who then pleaded guilty.

After tea on Day 3, Dale Steyn ripped through the Sri Lankan middle order with appreciable reverse swing on offer, as the hosts collapsed from 190/4 to 201/7 in less than 6 overs. Sri Lanka eventually folded for 292, 163 runs behind the Proteas in first innings.

Sri Lankan skipper Angelo Mathews was careful with his comments, but mentioned that there was more reverse swing on afternoon of Day 3 than any other day in the match. He didn’t claim to have been cheated, but said it’s ‘not within the laws’.

“It's not within the laws. You can't tamper with the ball. It's the umpires' decision and they need to make sure it doesn't happen again,” he said.