AB DE VILLIERS believes South Africa should have made an official complaint about their ball-tampering suspicions and ‘‘naughty’’ England seamer Stuart Broad to match referee Roshan Mahanama.

The Proteas chose to take their concerns no further, after officials in the third Test at Newlands straightbatted their initial query.

England had already refuted ‘‘any suggestion of balltampering or malpractice’’ on the part of any of their players – and the International Cricket Council subsequently made it clear the matter was closed.

South Africa needed to complain officially – effectively laying a charge against either Broad or James Anderson – before start of play on day four of the match.

South Africa’s concerns centred on an incident in which Broad stopped a straight drive with the bottom of his boot, Anderson’s general management of the ball, and their own perception that it had become unusually scuffed.

De Villiers, whose team have England 132 for three in their second innings and are closing in on a likely serieslevelling victory today, does not appear to be convinced justice has been done.

‘‘All I know is that it’s not on to be climbing on to the ball with your spikes,’’ said De Villiers.

‘‘We all like to get the ball to ‘reverse’ as long as you do it in a legal way.

‘‘I think there should be a formal complaint, because the ball did ‘reverse’ afterwards, and there was quite clearly a piece of leather off the ball after he’d stepped on it – and it’s not the first time it happened.

‘‘It’s a little bit naughty. I wouldn’t say he deserves to be banned – but it should be looked at, definitely.’’