DUBAI, Oct 25: South Africa were docked five penalty runs for ball-tampering on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan in Dubai on Friday.

Television replays showed South African fielder Faf du Plessis rubbing the ball on his trousers, which had a zip on them, in an apparent attempt to tamper with the ball.

Umpires Rod Tucker of Australia and England`s Ian Gould called South African captain Graeme Smith, changed the ball and added five runs to Pakistan`s score.

Pakistan were at 62 for three with Dale Steyn about to start the 31st over when the umpires took the decision.

`As per 42.1 of the ICC playing conditions, the umpires replaced the ball and fined South Africa five penalty runs for ball tampering,` said an International Cricket Council (ICC) spokesman.

A decision on the incident is expected early on Saturday although the ICC refused to confirm details.

The level two of fence of changing the condition of the ball carries a fine of 50 to 100 per cent of a player`s match fee or a ban of one Test, two one-dayers or two Twenty20 matches, whichever comes first for South Africa.

South African vice-captain AB de Villiers denied the charges.

`Honestly, we`re not the team that scratches the ball,` said de Villiers.

`We play in a fair manner. Obviously you want to swing the ball as much as you can and try to get it to reverse, putting sweat on the one side and stuf f like that. We don`t cheat, it`s as simple as that.

`I know `Faf fy` very well...it is part of his responsibility to shine the ball and to get it to swing and to look after it. It`s not an easy job, I thought he did it very well.Asked did the incident shock the Proteas, de Villiers replied: `Honestly I don`t know what happened there, I don`t even know from where the message came, obviously very surprised.

`There was no talk about it, no warnings, nothing, it was just out of nowhere, I don`t know the facts, I have said what I had to say about Faf and it`s pretty much about it.At the end of the third day, Pakistan, who won the first Test, were 132-4 in their second innings, still needing another 286 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

`He is the last man on the field who will try anything like that,` de Villiers insisted despite television pictures showing du Plessis appearing to rub the ball on the zipper of his trouser pocket.

De Villiers said du Plessis had beendesignated to look after the condition of the ball throughout the Pakistan innings.

But the umpires thought differently as South African captain Graeme Smith and du Plessis were called over for a discussion with umpires Ian Gould and Rod Tucker.

The ball was then replaced from a box carried on to the pitch by fourth umpire Shozab Raza after which Gould signalled a five run-penalty, effectively accusing the top-ranked test side of unnaturally trying to alter the state of the ball.

The International Cricket Council have since confirmed the penalty, opening up the possibility that fines and possible suspension could be handed out.

Neither Smith nor du Plessis spoke to the media after the match and Cricket South Africa did not even mention the incident in two separate summaries of the day`s play sent to the media on Friday.

The incident brought back memories of the 2006 Oval test when Pakistan refused to take to the field against England after being penalised five runs for ball tampering. They ended up forfeiting the test.

DU PLESSIS SUMMONED: Du Plessis was summoned by the match referee for a hearing into ball tampering, a team official said late on Friday.

South Africa media officer Lerato Malekutu told The Associated Press in an email that du Plessis was called by match referee David Boon from Australia and the `ruling will be announced tomorrow (Saturday)`.

Du Plessis faces a range of penalties; a 50 to 100 per cent fine of his match fees, a suspension from one test and two one-day internationals or two Twenty20s, whichever is played first.

-Agencies