Faf du Plessis not reconsidering appeal against ball-tampering charge

Faf du Plessis has confirmed that his appointment as South Africa's permanent Test captain has not changed his decision to appeal a charge of ball tampering, and instead has made him more determined to fight it.

Du Plessis was fined 100% of his match fee and hit with three demerit points by the International Cricket Council (ICC) after video footage from the second Test against Australia in Hobart showed him shining the ball with saliva whilst sucking on a mint. He immediately appealed the verdict, and will now go before a judicial commissioner in a hearing on Monday (December 19), when he risks a match ban if found guilty once again.

But asked whether his appointment as permanent Test captain this week might cause him to reconsider his appeal, du Plessis said: "No. It sounds like the logical thing to do, but purely from a non-cricket point of view, I didn't agree with how it happened and unfolded, and even how the hearing took place and how everything works when it comes to a hearing. Even if it meant the decision came out the way that I didn't want it to, for me it's about standing up to a principle which you don't agree with, and that's what a captain is all about - making sure you stand your ground and fight for whatever the cause is."

With du Plessis sticking to his guns, the differing views between South Africa's captain and those tasked with creating and upholding the law remain entrenched. While du Plessis has never denied having a mint in his mouth, he insists that sugar is present in all players' mouths from various drinks and sweets, and Cricket South Africa has called for the ICC to re-look at what the term "artificial" means in Law 42.2, which states that no artificial substance should be used to change the condition of the ball.

Yet a meeting of the MCC World Cricket Committee in Mumbai last week insisted that there was no need to reassess the law, with the body's head of cricket, John Stephenson, instead saying that du Plessis had "flagrantly contravened the law". The panel also decided against clarifying the term "artificial", stating that "to try to be too prescriptive by listing banned substances would be counter-productive".

Michael Beloff, who will hear du Plessis's appeal on Monday, has the right to increase his sanction should he find him guilty. In the event of a one-match ban, du Plessis would be forced to sit out the first Test against Sri Lanka in Port Elizabeth on Boxing Day - his first since he was appointed captain on a permanent basis.

CSA have not named a vice-captain in their squad for the series, but with AB de Villiers out injured the leadership duties could fall to either Hashim Amla or JP Duminy if du Plessis is unavailable. Amla captained the Proteas in 14 Tests between January 2014 and January of this year, but could feel a need to focus on rediscovering form with the bat after a woeful tour of Australia. Although South Africa have another experienced captain in Stephen Cook, who has led the Lions for much of his franchise career, Duminy is more established in the Proteas setup having become a senior member of the group.

In standing by his decision to appeal, du Plessis and South Africa will hope that a positive outcome on Monday makes the question over a potential replacement irrelevant.