Lankan skipper to miss final Test

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (AP):

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal will miss the third and final Test against the West Indies, which starts today after his appeal against a one-match ball-tampering suspension was rejected.

Chandimal received the ban for his actions in the second Test in St Lucia. He was also punished two suspension points and 100 per cent of his match fee.

Sri Lanka would not play on the third morning of the game, disputing the ball-tampering charge by the umpires. The delay lasted two hours, and the Test eventually ended in a draw on Monday.

Michael Beloff, chairman of the ICC's code of conduct commission, turned down Chandimal's appeal after a four-hour hearing yesterday during which both parties were represented by legal counsel.

"The original decision of the ICC match referee, Javagal Srinath, handing Chandimal the maximum punishment available under the code, i.e. two suspension points and a fine of 100 per cent of his match fee, will stand," cricket's governing body said in a statement.

"Chandimal will therefore miss the day/night Barbados Test. Furthermore, and because two suspension points correspond to four demerit points, these will remain on Chandimal's disciplinary record."

The ICC said that it would provide Beloff's "written reasoned decision" on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, manager Asanka Gurusinha, and Chandimal had previously admitted breaching the "spirit of cricket" by refusing to play for two hours.

The breaches carry an imposition of four to eight suspension points, and a hearing on those will be held on July 10.

Until then, Hathurusinghe and Gurusinha can continue in their roles. Chandimal was found guilty by Srinath of changing the condition of the ball. Video appeared to show that he put saliva on the ball after the ICC suggested that he put a sweet in his mouth.

Denied wrongdoing

The Sri Lankan, who denied wrongdoing, admitted putting something in his mouth but didn't remember what it was.

Play on today's opening day of the day/night pink ball Test starts at 2 p.m. (Jamaica time) at Kensington Oval in Barbados. The Windies have previously played two day-night Tests.

They lost to Pakistan in Dubai and to England in Birmingham. In their only pink ball Test in the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan by 68 runs.

The Windies are 1-0 up in the series. They won the first Test by 226 runs at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.