The Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) has cleared former Indian off-spinner R Ashwin of ball-tampering charges after the Siechem Madurai Panthers accused him and the Dindigul Dragons of doing so.
During their June 14 encounter in Salem, the Madurai team accused the Ashwin-led team of tampering with the ball by using towels that were purportedly prepared with chemicals.
“During our innings, the ball’s condition quickly deteriorated, which had an impact on our batsmen’s performance. Every shot our batters made after the powerplay sounded like they were striking hard stones rather than a cricket ball, according to Madurai coach Shijit Chandran.
“We are of the view that the Dindigul Dragons team used foreign substances to alter the ball’s condition, including using special towels with pre-applied roughening agent, which is unacceptable and against the spirit of the game, and amounts to cheating,” he stated.
According to TNPL CEO Prasanna Kannan, there was no proof of ball tampering. He emphasised that the accusations were just speculative in nature because the match referee and umpires were constantly keeping a close eye on the ball during play.
“TNCA provided the towels in question, and both teams had equal access to them. Throughout the game, the playing control team, which included the referee and umpires, had complete control over the ball. No issues were brought up during play, and no concrete proof has been offered. According to Kannan’s comments, the assertions seem post-facto and hypothetical.
“Should the franchise possess credible and verifiable evidence, they may submit a formal request for an Independent Commission of Enquiry by 3 PM on 17th June, along with supporting material (video, photographic, or testimonial),” he stated.
According to Kannan, the Madurai franchise may be subject to penalties under the TNCA Code of Conduct and Operational Rules if they fail to produce hard proof to back up their claims. Additionally, he noted that the complaint was inadmissible because it was filed more than twenty-four hours after the contest ended. However, in the interest of openness and equity, the TNPL reviewed the complaint after sending it to the Honorary Secretary.
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