Concerned CSA vows to crack down on ball-tampering

Cricket South Africa (CSA) is concerned about its national players gaining notoriety for ball-tampering and vowed not to tolerate such behaviour.

At its Annual General Meeting (AGM) held Sunday, CSA board member Vusi Pikoli, a leading figure in South Africa's legal industry, said he was "deeply concerned" with allegations of ball tampering and said that "such behaviour cannot be tolerated" from the top players.

Top South African cricketers Vernon Philander and Faf du Plessis have been fined by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the last 12 months on charges of ball-tampering, prompting CSA's ethics committee to raise the issue at the AGM.

"The committee wishes to raise its deep concern (at) the recent reports and allegations of ball-tampering. The committee takes a very dim view of these reports and wishes to send out a strong message that such behaviour cannot be tolerated. Such conduct damages our fragile reputation," Pikoli, CSA's ethics sub-committee chairman, was quoted as saying by supersport.com.

"It's not about what others do, it's about our reputation, and we urge our lads to take this matter very seriously," he added.

Philander was fined 75 per cent of his match fee after he was caught by TV cameras scratching the surface of the ball during South African's win against Sri Lanka in Galle. Philander accepting the charge without contest.

Du Plessis was fined 50 per cent of his match fee on charges of ball-tampering last October during a Test against Pakistan in the UAE. He was reportedly found rubbing the ball over a zipper on his trouser pocket.

Earlier this year in February, Australian batsman David Warner alleged that wicketkeeper AB de Villiers had roughed the ball with his gloves following a Test defeat in Port Elizabeth.