South African cricket captain Faf Du Plessis has refused to accept the International Cricket Council's (ICC) decision to deduct his entire second-test match fee, along with three demerit points, following a ball tampering incident in which he was captured on camera rubbing residue and saliva from a mint-lollie into the cricket ball."I still completely disagree with that. I feel like I've done nothing wrong…it's not like I was trying to cheat or anything," he told reporters.Despite his remonstrations the penalty will stand, though it was not enough to see him suspended from the third test in Adelaide, which began yesterday. Cricket's laws forbid any artificial substance being used to help shine the ball in an attempt to make it swing and the ICC have now clearly decided that the banned list includes mint-laced spit.
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Despite this, the use of saliva and mint-lollies to shine the ball - which changes its behaviour in flight when it is bowled - has been a common enough practice in international test cricket. Indian captain, Virat Kohli was busted doing the exact same thing during the first test against England earlier this month though escaped punishment by the ICC because it was discovered more than five days afterwards (meaning they cannot act on it).Faf found an unlikely ally in Australian captain, Steve Smith, who, along with the rest of the Australian team have remained conspicuously quiet while mint-gate has raged."We, along with every other team around the world, shine the ball the same way," he told reporters.His solidarity went spectacularly unrewarded on day one of the third test when Faf ordered his team into a bizarre declaration at 9/259 in what quickly emerged was an ingenious piece of captaincy with Aussie opener, David Warner, soon after forbidden from taking to the crease because he had spent too much time off the field getting a shoulder injury treated. Hearing Aussie captain, Smith, discussing it with the umpires, the wiley Faf had made the snap decision, earning huzzahs from Channel Nine's Australian commentary team."I tell you what, it's another big tick for Faf du Plessis with his captaincy," said the great spin-king Shane Warne during the broadcast.Speaking to ABC Grandstand afterwards, Faf said, "I was aware of it.""I saw them speaking to the umpire and I put my ear a little closer towards them and as soon as I heard that he was in trouble with the time I ran off."