Holder disappointed with how ball-tampering saga was handled

Cricket365
June 19, 2018

West Indies captain Jason Holder said he would not be drawn into the ball-tampering saga that took place on third day of the Test against Sri Lanka in St Lucia but was disappointed by how it was handled by the officials.

The start of the third day was delayed by two hours after Sri Lanka had refused to take the field following a decision by umpires Aleem Dar and Ian Gould to charge the visitors with altering the state of the ball during the latter stages of the second day’s play.

The home side were awarded five penalty runs and the ball was changed, according to the rules, but the tourists were angered that they were accused of cheating.

Sri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal has subsequently been charged by the ICC to which he has pleaded not guilty with the outcome of the hearing not yet known.

Holder said he and his team were disappointed not to be informed of what was happening as they waited for the game to resume.

The Windies skipper said: “To be honest I wasn’t aware of what was going on early in the morning. Then we got some information of what was going on.

“Obviously we’ve seen what has transpired and what has come of it. I choose not to get involved with it.

“The game is in the control of the match referee. Just a bit disappointed with how it was handled. We basically sat around for two hours with not much information.”

The game was eventually restarted and ended in draw on Monday with the Windies hanging after set a target of 296.

The hosts were 147/5 when rain and then bad light forced the match to be called off and end in a draw which means the Windies take a 1-0 lead into the final Test that starts in Barbados on Saturday.

The match in Barbados will be historic as it will be the first time a day-night Test will be played in the Caribbean and Holder is looking forward to it.

He said: “Its obviously a special occasion, the first day-night Test in the Caribbean. I guess the people of Barbados – I’m from Barbados as well – will come out and support us.

“They’re really avid cricket fans and it should be a really good spectacle at the Kensington Oval.”