Du Plessis confirms appeal of ICC ruling

An "aggrieved" Faf du Plessis has appealed the International Cricket Council's decision to fine him for ball tampering following the second Commonwealth Bank Test against Australia.

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The ICC announced the verdict on Tuesday and fined the Proteas captain his entire match fee from the Hobart Test, but he avoided a ban for the third Test in Adelaide, where he hit 118 not out on Thursday.

Cricket South Africa (CSA) confirmed in a statement that du Plessis had appealed the decision of the ICC Match Referee which found him guilty of a breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.

"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 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."

An appeal would trigger a fresh hearing in front of a judicial commissioner, who would reconsider all the evidence, and has the power to increase – or decrease – the sanction.

Du Plessis would face being suspended for a Test match if his sanction was increased in the fresh hearing. The maximum penalty for a level two breach of the ICC's Code of Conduct is 100 per cent of the match fee and two suspensions points, the equivalent of one Test.

Lorgat said CSA would support du Plessis' appeal of 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."

Du Plessis, who was booed on the ground at Adelaide on Thursday, earlier this week said he felt he had done nothing wrong.

"I was shining the cricket ball. I have been doing that my whole career. Every single team I have played in does exactly the same thing.

"It's not something that's frowned upon by anyone, not even the umpires ... I just think it was a little bit blown out of proportion."

The CSA statement said that as the matter was now subject to further legal process, neither du Plessis nor the CSA would make further comment.

The ICC has yet to make a statement about the decision to challenge the ruling or made any announcement about when the appeal will be heard.

Du Plessis said his character-laden century against Australia on Thursday, just two days after he was found guilty, was the best of his career but was soured by a hostile crowd reception.

The Proteas skipper expected to be booed when he strode onto Adelaide Oval, but he thought the booing would stop when he reached three figures. He was wrong.

"I was expecting a little bit of hostility but not to that extent," du Plessis told reporters.

"When I came out, I was obviously quite aware of it. As the innings went on, it disappeared a bit.

"But to be really honest with you guys, when I got to 100 I wasn't expecting to still get booed. So that was pretty disappointing."

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Du Plessis said the bitterness from the crowd further steeled him.

"I was really motivated before today," he said.

"I felt it was a character test and the only way I could do it was by scoring runs ... I suppose it did help a little bit, maybe five per cent.

"But every ball today, I have never been that switched on every ball, to say to myself that it's not enough, I want to get a big one here.

"It was a big day for me to stand up as a captain and make sure I led from the front. So to get through all of that and this week in the manner that I did today makes me really proud."

Du Plessis also praised his counterpart Steve Smith for saying on Wednesday that the Australians shine the ball "in the same way" that had seen the Proteas skipper banned.

"I was actually really impressed with Steven Smith's press conference," du Plessis said.

"I sent him a message to say that he gained a lot of respect from us as a team, because to say that he does exactly what I have been accused of doing takes a lot."

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