A day after Madurai Panthers team officially wrote to the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) that R Ashwin and his team Dindigul Dragons allegedly tampered with the ball during their match on June 14, the organisers have demanded the franchise to provide evidence for the same. In their complaint to TNPL, the Madurai franchise has alleged that the defending champions used towels treated with chemicals that resulted in the ball getting heavier and produced metallic sound when it came into contact with the bat.
With the allegations being severe, the TNPL’s CEO Prasanna Kannan has asked the franchise to show proof of the incidents.
“They have filed a complaint, which we have acknowledged. Though they have to lodge any complaints within 24 hours of the game, we have still accepted it and have asked them to furnish proof of their allegations. We will be forming an independent committee if we find there is any truth to their allegations. Without sufficient evidence, it is wrong to put forth such allegations against a player and another franchise. If they don’t provide any evidence, then Madurai will face due sanctions,” Prasanna told The Indian Express.
In the letter to TNPL, the Madurai franchise COO S Mahesh wrote: “A serious case of ball tampering occurred during our recent match against Dindigul Dragons. Despite repeated warnings, the Dindigul team blatantly tampered with the ball, using towels that appeared to have been treated with chemicals.”
With the tournament coinciding with the monsoon season, the matches have been hampered by rain. The said fixture began after a brief delay following a short downpour in Salem, following which Madurai batted first and made 150/8 in 20 overs, which Dindigul overhauled in 12.3 overs and 9 wickets to spare. Ashwin had gone wicketless with the ball before scoring 49 as an opener.
It is understood that factoring the wet outfield conditions, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association provides towels to each of the franchises and players are allowed to use it to dry the ball only in front of the umpires. “They have to dry the ball only using the towels provided by TNPL. And every time the ball is hit for a six or immediately after a dismissal and over-break, umpires regularly check the ball and they didn’t find any issue with the ball during the said match,” Kannan said.