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Sydney: Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been urged to hold peace talks with Indian skipper Anil Kumble to try and resolve the escalating crisis between their teams.
Cricket Australia (CA) chief executive James Sutherland wants the rival captains to hold a private meeting to avert any threat of the tour being cancelled as tensions threaten to boil over.
The row, which has been simmering since Australia's tour of India last October, erupted after the hosts pulled off a last-gasp but highly controversial win over India in the second test at Sydney on Sunday.
Kumble accused the Australians of bad sportsmanship and his teammates were left fuming after their spinner Harbhajan Singh was later suspended for alleged racial abuse of Australia's Andrew Symonds.
India have appealed against the ban and lodged a counter claim against Australian Brad Hogg, promoting Sutherland's suggestion of a meeting between the captains. "It's not for me to comment on whether Anil Kumble is out of line," Sutherland told reporters in Melbourne yesterday.
"That is something that Anil and Ricky need to sit down and discuss. Anil Kumble had a fantastic Test match as a captain and a player and there is no doubt he was disappointed in the end.
"To some extent, it's not surprising in that emotionally charged environment to say what he did. But in the course of the next few days, it is time for the two to get together and have a chat."
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