Ball-tampering sagas have been making the headlines in cricket for the last few months. It all began when Australian batsman Cameron Bancroft was caught rubbing the ball with sandpaper and Steve Smith later admitting to wrongdoing.

The hyper-blast of a reaction in Australia after that meant that there were serious consequences for then captain Steve Smith, then vice-captain and instigator David Warner and Cameron Bancroft.

And now, just three months after that infamous tampering incident, Sri Lanka cricket have been hit with their own version of it. Chandimal, however, didn’t have to face similar repercussions to that of the Aussie trio as the sports minister of Sri Lanka defended the Sri Lanka captain, claiming that they worked with the mindset of Chandimal being innocent.

"Sri Lanka Cricket and the ministry of sports worked on the premise that Chandimal was innocent," sports minister Faiszer Mustapha said. "As you know, when there is adjudication, we have to respect it. Chandimal had allegations made against him, and there was due process. There was a certain order. We appealed against it, and we respect the decision.”

He then added that he was “disturbed” by the players’ decision to not take on the field for starting day three but also gave them the benefit of the doubt because their love for Chandimal brought out their emotional impulses.

 “I met the team and have told them that I am disturbed by the decision of them not going into the field," Mustapha said. "But because of the camaraderie in this team, and the love that everyone had for Chandimal, they acted emotionally. We also have to think of what kind of mental state they would have had on the field, if they had gone on at the time. They are also people, and a team is like a family.”

He did, however, add that what Chandimal wasn’t right and will ask for ICC’s forgiveness by stating their mental state at that time.

"But we have to accept that they did was wrong. At no point can we suggest that they did the right thing there. So the case we will make [to the ICC] is that, yes we were emotional and we acted wrongly. But please also think about what kind of mentality we were in when you make the decision."

Meanwhile, Chandimal continued claiming his innocence as he believes that he did nothing wrong while also accepting ICC’s punishment on him.

"My aim was not to tamper, and that's why I appealed against the ICC. I know - and my team-mates know - that I didn't do anything wrong. I can't control the fact that the ICC has imposed a punishment. So I have to accept that, and play when I next get the chance."