Tendulkar handed suspended ban

Sachin Tendulkar has been found guilty of ball tampering and given a suspended ban from Test cricket. Match referee Mike Denness found Tendulkar guilty of "acting on the match ball" while bowling on the third day of the Second Test against South Africa at Port Elizabeth.

The Indian star appeared before Denness after footage of the incident had been viewed by the former England international. Tendulkar was banned for one Test match, though the sentence was suspended until 31 December 2001. He was also fined 75% of his match fee.

Denness also disciplined five other Indian players. The most serious action was taken against batsman Virender Sehwag, whose excessive appealing attracted a fine of 75% of his match fee and a one-Test ban that will ensure that he misses the third and final game of the current series in South Africa.

Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, like Tendulkar, was banned for one Test match, and also for two one-day internationals, for not appropriately controlling the actions of his players. These sanctions were suspended until the end of January 2002.

Spin bowler Harbhajan Singh, opening batsman Shiv Sunder Das and wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta did not escape lightly either, also receiving suspended sentences of one Test match until the end of January 2002 and surrendering 75% of their match fees for excessive appealing.