Footage clearly shows South Africa captain has white, round mint in mouth as he polished ball during Australia's second innings
Du Plessis seen shining ball with lolly in mouth
South Africa captain Faf du Plessis applied saliva to the ball with a lolly in his mouth in the midst of an Australian batting collapse on the fourth morning in Hobart.
During the 54th over, with Australia 5-150, Nine's Wide World of Sport cameras showed du Plessis – with a round, white lolly on his tongue – licking his finger before rubbing the Kookaburra and repeating the act at least two more times.
Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill was out the very next ball, fending off a short-pitched delivery to gully. Joe Mennie fell later in the same over, given out lbw to a low full toss that swung in towards leg stump.
Former England opener Marcus Trescothick in 2009 admitted he had used mints to help produce saliva which kept the ball newer for a longer period of time during the memorable 2005 Ashes series.
Law 42.3 of the MCC's Laws of Cricket states that a fielder may polish a ball, "provided that no artificial substance is used".
No action was taken against the English team when Trescothick made the admission and the ICC said at the time it would not ban players sucking on mints.
Trescothick noted in his autobiography that the tactic did not cause as much of an effect on Kookaburra balls as it did the Dukes ball used in England.
Australia collapsed to be all out for 85 in the first innings in Hobart, and also folded meekly in the second innings for 161 to lose the Test by an innings and 80 runs and concede the series.
It was the fifth consecutive Test defeat for Australia, following a 3-0 hiding in Sri Lanka where the team's batsmen were undone by the spinning ball.
Du Plessis, who has long been South Africa's player in charge of shining the ball, was fined by the ICC for rubbing the ball on a trouser zipper during a 2013 Test against Pakistan. In mid-2014 Vernon Philander was also fined by the ICC for scratching the surface of the ball during a Test against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Cricket South Africa's ethics sub-committee chairman Vusi Pikoli later raised concerns about the national team's "reputation".
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