The 2nd Test between West Indies and Sri Lanka at St. Lucia has taken a controversial turn on Day three, as the Sri Lanka team led by captain Dinesh Chandimal refused to take the field over a dispute about changing the ball.
The on-field umpires - Ian Gould and Aleem Dar - had asked for the change of ball before the start of play as they were unhappy with the condition of it and the way Sri Lanka shined it on Day 2.
Players got ready to come onto the field after lengthy discussions, but Chandimal had a long talk with the on-field umpires and the team went back inside.
The on-air commentators confirmed that Sri Lanka was being charged for changing the condition of the ball, in so doing, the umpires were allowing Windies to choose the ball for the third day's play and earning them a five-run penalty.
West Indies are batting and have reached 118 for two in reply to Sri Lanka's first innings total of 253. The Sri Lankan team reacted to the umpires' decision by refusing to come onto the field to allow play to restart.
ESPNCricinfo website reported that near the end of play on day two on Friday, the umpires checked on the ball and Gould was seen asking to see Dhananjaya de Silva's hands. He was the player shining the ball and he had bandages on.
As reported by ESPNCricinfo, according to the sources on the ground, "The umpires are suspecting that there has been a ball-tampering situation. They wanted to change the ball, but without actually pointing a finger to Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan team management is protesting against that."
