BCCI announces to continue India’s tour

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~Fragi~

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India's cricket tour of Australia will go ahead as scheduled despite racism and umpiring rows, the Indian cricket board announced.

India had effectively put the four-Test tour on hold while they appealed a three-Test ban for bowler Harbhajan Singh, who was accused of racially abusing Andrew Symonds, the only black player in the Australian side.

But Indian cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah said it had decided to go ahead with the tour after world cricket chiefs intervened.

"The working committee of the Indian board took note of all relevant circumstances and developments and decided that Indian team's tour to Australia should continue for the present," Shah said in a statement.

He said the board would "review the tour and all other developments continuously."

Doubts over the tour arose after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) ordered the Indian team to remain in Sydney and not proceed to Canberra for a practice match starting on Thursday.

India had objected to umpire Steve Bucknor standing in the series, and to match referee Mike Procter's decision to ban off-spinner Harbhajan for three Tests on racial abuse charges.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) acceded to India's demand on Tuesday by replacing Jamaican Bucknor with New Zealander Billy Bowden for the third Test starting in Perth on January 16.

India had demanded Bucknor's removal following umpiring errors in the second Test in Sydney which Australia won by 122 runs on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

However, Shah criticised the match referee's decision to suspend Harbhajan and said the BCCI would ask the ICC to withdraw the allegation of racism.

The ICC has said Harbhajan will be allowed to play the final two Tests in Perth and Adelaide until the commissioner, who has yet to be named, has completed his inquiry.

"The committee fully and unequivocally endorsed the stand taken by (BCCI) president (Sharad Pawar) and concerned officials with respect to the quality of umpiring and totally uncalled for, unjustified and patently illegal ban imposed on Harbhajan by the match referee," he said.

"It also reiterated the ban imposed on Harbhajan is totally unacceptable. It further authorised the president to take all possible steps at his command and deploy all human and material resources available to get the player cleared of the obnoxious and baseless accusation."

The ICC's chief match referee Ranjan Madugalle of Sri Lanka is to fly to Perth to "help the two captains in re-establishing an atmosphere of goodwill and mutual respect between the two teams," the ICC said.

It also decided to appoint a Code of Conduct commissioner to adjudicate on India's appeal against Procter's decision to ban Harbhajan for alleged racist remarks against Australian player Andrew Symonds.
Posted 09 Jan 2008

sun_shine says
yaa i think tour complete hona chahiye
Posted 09 Jan 2008

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