Cricket-Du Plessis to appeal ICC ball tampering decision

CAPE TOWN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - South Africa captain Faf du Plessis will appeal the International Cricket Council's decision to find him guilty of ball tampering in the second test against Australia, Cricket South Africa (CSA) said on Thursday. Du Plessis, who was fined his entire second-test match fee, was cleared to play in the third and scored a defiant century on Thursday's opening day after walking to the wicket to a chorus of derision from the Adelaide crowd. "Faf has decided to appeal the match referee's decision after he and his legal team had studied the written reasons provided by the match referee," CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement. "In his mind Faf is clear that he did not alter the condition of the ball nor did he intend to do so and that the match referee was not correct to find him guilty. He is understandably feeling aggrieved. "CSA will support him to appeal the decision before an independent Judicial Commissioner as there are issues relating to fair and just process, interpretation of the rules, science and performance that needs to be considered," Lorgat added. On the eve of the third test, Du Plessis denied cheating and said he had been made a "scapegoat". (Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Toby Davis)