GALLE: South Africa coach Russell Domingo yesterday denied his team was earning a reputation for ball tampering after Vernon Philander became the second bowler in the last nine months to be fined for the offence.
Philander was on Friday fined 75 percent of his match fees after footage emerged of him attempting to change the condition of the ball by scratching the surface with his fingers and thumb during the ongoing first Test against Sri Lanka.
“No I don’t think so (that we are earning a reputation). I’d hate to say that other sides are a bit better at doing it than we are,” Domingo said after the fourth day’s play at the Galle International Stadium.
“We don’t try to do it intentionally. He (Philander) said he was cleaning it but it’s (now) done,” Domingo said.
South Africa were involved in a similar incident against Pakistan in the UAE last October when TV coverage showed Faf du Plessis rubbing the ball close to the zipper of his trouser pocket.
The bowler was fined 50 percent of his match fees.
AFP
