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Dubai: The fate of India's cricket tour of Australia hangs in the balance with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) demanding on Monday that the International Cricket Council (ICC) revoke the ban imposed on Harbhajan Singh.
Match referee Mike Procter had imposed a three-Test ban on Singh after finding him "guilty" of racially abusing Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds.
The ban on the Indian off spinner has added fuel to the fire after a series of umpiring blunders apparently cost the visitors the second Test match in Sydney.
The Indian board has requested the team to stay on in Sydney till the ICC responds to their request. The team were to travel to Canberra on Monday morning for a three-day match.
According to reports, Sachin Tendulkar's text message to the BCCI president may have led to the suspension of the tour of Australia.
Tendulkar reportedly assured the board of Harbhajan's innocence, suggesting that India should play the third Test in Perth only if the punishment was revoked.
The BCCI feels that the ban on Singh was imposed despite the absence of any evidence.
Meanwhile, the BCCI has also requested that umpire Steve Bucknor, who committed most of the errors in Sydney, be replaced for the third Test starting in Perth on January 16.
Though the ICC has not responded to the BCCI's demand on Singh's ban, their spokesperson did make a statement that Bucknor will not be replaced for the third Test.
The BCCI executive committee will meet on Tuesday to decide the future course of action in the light of the lukewarm response from the ICC.
What is your take on the issue? Is it becoming a mess? Should India cancel the tour or is the BCCI making the issue more important than it should be?
Your comments
It seems like the Indian team knows it can't compete with the Aussies, so they have decided to quit and sulk.
Murph
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 08:50
Taking action without adequate proof is not understandable. The Aussies are known for sledging.
Sakeer
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 08:47
It's wrong that they are always against Asian teams. We should also have a council to handle these situations.
Babar
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 08:32
I think the Indian team and management is making too much fuss over the issue of umpiring. There have been several occasions when umpires have taken bad decisions; it is just a part of the game. Also, the ban on Singh should stay.
Fayaz
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 08:14
It is clear that the ICC wants to hide the mistakes committed by the Australian captain and umpire Steve Bucknor. Creating a controversy was the only way out. I am sure the BCCI will not leave the matter. This is a different version of match fixing -- only pay for the umpire.
Joseph
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 07:36
Yes, it is becoming a mess and this is not the first time that such a thing has happened in Australia. Umpiring in Australia has always been below international standards. However, one can't deny that it was poor batting display by the Indian top order. Complete restructuring of the Indian batting line up should be done at the earliest.
Sam
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 07:32
This issue was blown out of proportion by Ponting and the Aussies. One commenter was very right in saying India had to play 14 Aussies. The BCCI needs to be strong so that such things are not repeated. The umpires should, at least, be suspended. Their wrong decisions can't be justified.
Praveen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 07:28
The BCCI should not bow down to pressure and should immediately call the team back as a mark of protest. Also, all Australian players should be sent for counselling. They should know it is a game and not a war.
Prabhu
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 06:59
The Australian captain made all this mess; let him own the responsibility for it, along with the umpire and the match referee.
Shirly
Melbourne,Australia
Posted: January 08, 2008, 01:41
Now India has to show sportsmanship and not quit the tournament. But it is strange that the ICC is not considering why Harbhajan insulted Symonds. Australians have always misbehaved with opponent players, especially if they are Asians.
Jawad
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: January 08, 2008, 01:19
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