Mint Condition

Faf du Plessis paid the price recently for polishing a cricket ball with sweetie-soaked saliva – but his ‘crime’ is nothing compared with some sporting cheats’ tricks

- Richard Van Rensburg

YOU had to feel for him. Under his leadership South Africa had notched up a historic third Test-series victory in a row Down Under – but instead of congratulations or even grudging respect from the Aussies, Faf du Plessis found himself public enemy No 1.

The Australian media weren’t interested in the score. All they wanted to talk about was spit and polish – Faf ’s own sweetie-fuelled spit and his personal penchant to polish, that is.

Between overs the stand-in Proteas captain was seen shining the ball with his saliva while sucking a mint – an act the Aussie media made such a fuss about that the International Cricket Council (ICC) probably had no choice but to investigate a charge of ball tampering.

“It’s not as if I was trying to cheat,” Faf insisted of “Mintgate”, as it’s become known. “I feel I’ve done nothing wrong.’’

He was speaking at a news conference after ICC referee Andy Pycroft decided Faf had indeed contravened cricket’s rule 42.3 – that players may shine the ball if they’re not using an artificial substance – and he consequently had to forfeit his match fee for the second Test.

There’s a difference between “shining the ball, something all cricketers do, and ball tampering”, Faf protested. He says the case against him revolves around sugar or sugary saliva – but this is highly problematic because “cricket players’ mouths are always full of sugar”, he pointed out, whether from sweets, energy drinks or gum.

He believes this is a grey area in the laws of cricket and that the ICC wants to make a scapegoat of him.