Cricket News Headlines

Tour likely to continue after ICC sacks

umpire


By Julian Linden
SYDNEY (Reuters) - India's troubled tour of Australia is

expected to proceed as planned after the International

Cricket Council (ICC) bowed to pressure on Tuesday and

sacked umpire Steve Bucknor.
The ICC caved in to India's demands to axe Bucknor from

next week's third test in Perth as well as appointing match

referee Ranjan Madugalle as a mediator to resolve the bitter

dispute between the teams following last week's ill-tempered

match in Sydney.
The Indian cricket board (BCCI) immediately welcomed the

moves and said it was likely the tour would resume after it

was suspended on Monday.
"Definitely I'm happy," BCCI president Sharad Pawar told

reporters in New Delhi.
"Particularly I'm grateful to the Australian board for

taking a very positive approach in the matter."
The BCCI had told their players to remain in Sydney rather

than travel to Canberra for their next practice game, until

Harbhajan Singh's appeal against a three-match suspension

was heard.
Harbhajan was banned for calling Australian all-rounder

Andrew Symonds a "monkey" but has denied the charges

and appealed against the ruling.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed confirmed that Harbhajan

would be allowed to resume playing until the case was decided

but there was no guarantee it would be heard before the third test starts in Perth next Wednesday.
BOWDEN IN
However, a separate case into allegations of abusive language

by Australian all-rounder Brad Hogg would be heard before

the next match started, the ICC said.
Speed is hopeful the game will go ahead as planned after the

ICC appointed New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden to officiate

alongside Pakistan's Asad Rauf.
India wanted Bucknor sacked as punishment for a series of

blunders the 61-year-old West Indian made in the Sydney test

that contributed to their defeat.
Speed said the ICC did not normally allow member nations to

interfere with the umpires but the change was necessary to ensure

the tour continued.
"Steve accepts that his presence was a problem and in the best

interests of the game he accepted the decision," Speed said.
"It is an extraordinary set of circumstances and we want to take some

of the tension out of the situation."
Speed said Madugalle would fly to Perth to speak to Australia captain

Ricky Ponting and Indian skipper Anil Kumble before the match.
Relations between the two teams have hit rock bottom since last

week's drama-charged match in Sydney which ended with Kumble

accusing the Australians of breaching the spirit of cricket.
"We are bringing Ranjan in as a facilitator in an effort to prevent

any ill-feeling that may have been present at the Sydney test from

rolling over to Perth," Speed said.
"I believe the captains need to sit with Rajan Madugalle and listen

to what he has to say and express to him what their problems are,

resolve those issues and move forward."
Australia lead the four-match series 2-0 after wins in Melbourne and Sydney