India undecided on tour future despite ICC action



MUMBAI, India (Reuters) - India's cricket board (BCCI)
expressed satisfaction at the International Cricket Council's
decision to drop umpire Steve Bucknor from the third test but
has yet to reach a decision on the future of the Australia tour.
"We are happy that this issue (umpiring) has been resolved,
but the working committee will meet tonight (Tuesday) and
decide on the future course," board secretary Niranjan Shah
told Reuters on Tuesday.
On Monday, the BCCI suspended the tour pending the outco
me of an appeal for banned spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was
handed a three-test suspension by match referee Mike Procter
for racially abusing Australia all-rounder Andrew Symonds during
the second test in Sydney.
India reacted with anger and disappointment at the series of
umpiring blunders that led to their second test defeat as well as
the controversial ban on Harbhajan.
The hosts won by 122 runs to equal their own record of 16 consecutive
test victories and lead the four-test series 2-0. The third test is
scheduled to be played in Perth from Jan. 16.
On Tuesday, the International Cricket Council replaced West Indian
Bucknor with Billy Bowden of New Zealand and appointed match
referee Ranjan Madugalle to act as mediator in the row between rival
captains, Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting.
The ICC also said Harbhajan may continue to play pending the verdict
of his appeal, although a date has yet to be set for the spinner's hearing.
However, the Indian board has categorically stated that Harbhajan
had to be absolved of the racist charge and "will fight the blatantly false
and unfair slur on an Indian player".
The team had been asked to remain in Sydney until further instructions,
vice-president Rajiv Shukla told Indian media.
They were due to travel to Canberra on Monday for a tour match.
"I don't want to comment (on the future of the tour) as of now.
If everything turns out fine (committee's decision) the team can still
reach (Canberra) in time," Shah said.

Harbhajan cleared to play while appeal

is pending



MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Indian spinner

Harbhajan Singh has been cleared to resume

playing until his appeal against a three-match ban is heard,

the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.

Harbhajan was suspended by ICC match referee Mike

Proctor for three matches on Sunday after being found

guilty of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew

Symonds during last week's ill-tempered second test in Sydney.

Harbhajan has denied abusing Symonds and the Indian

cricket board has lodged an appeal on his behalf.

ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said a date for Harbhajan's

appeal had not yet been set but the bowler would be allowed to

continue playing in the meantime, in accordance with ICC regulations.

"The ICC has a robust process of dealing with Code of Conduct

issues and that process will now run its natural course," Speed said

ICC stands by umpires despite Indian
complaints


SYDNEY (Reuters) - The International Cricket Council
will resist Indian demands to sack umpire Steve Bucknor
from standing in next week's third test against Australia.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) wants Bucknor
banned from officiating at the match in Perth as punishment for
a series of blunders he made during the second test in Sydney.
The ICC said member countries were not permitted to interfere or
oppose the appointment of umpires.
"The standard test match playing conditions are signed by the
respective board, and the condition states that neither team has a
right to object to an umpire's appointment. There is little
ICC can do," an ICC spokesman said on Monday.
Bucknor and Englishman Mark Benson were heavily criticised
by Indian officials for their handling of the second test which
Australia won by 122 runs.
Both teams were adversely affected by wrong calls but
India suffered more than the Australians.
The most significant occurred on the first day when
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was incorrectly
given not out on 30 before going on to make 162 not out.
Then on the last day India's Rahul Dravid was wrongly given
out when he was trying to save the game.
"I have been informed by the BCCI that they are lodging a
strong protest with the ICC, so that some of the incompetent
umpires do not umpire in the rest of the series," the Indian team
manager Chetan Chauhan told a news conference.
"We're not saying this because we have lost the game. It was for
everybody to see."
Benson was not scheduled to stand in the third test but
61-year-old Bucknor was listed to officiate along with
Pakistan's Asad Rauf.
Jamaican-born Bucknor is the most experienced umpire in
international cricket history, having stood in a record 120 tests, and
five World Cup finals

Team India c Benson b Bucknor

In a match where V V S Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar kept

their tryst with the Sydney Cricket Ground, umpire Steve Bucknor

too managed to maintain his record. After some very poor

umpiring by Bucknor and Mark Benson saw India go down by

122 runs and 0-2 in the series today, skipper Anil Kumble, sources

said, gave Bucknor a zero in his captain's report - just what Sourav

Ganguly did in the last meeting at the SCG four years ago.
An upset Kumble, who remained stranded at the non-striker's end

on 45 as Michael Clarke took three wickets in five balls to win the

Test for Australia with just seven deliveries to spare, also accused

Australia of unsportsmanlike conduct. "Only one team was playing

in the spirit of the game, that's all I can say," Kumble told a news

conference. The ICC code of conduct barred him from giving vent

to his anger.
With Bucknor due to stand in again at Perth - he has been named

for the third Test with Asad Rauf - team manager Chetan Chauhan

said the BCCI was "lodging a strong protest with the ICC to ensure

that some of these incompetent umpires do not umpire in the rest

of the series".
"The way the umpiring has been conducted, the team has been

agitated. A lot of decisions have gone against us. Had even 50 per cent

of those come out in our favour, the result would have been different.

It has really affected us and we are not saying this because we have lost

this Test match. I have been informed that the Board is lodging a strong

protest with the ICC to ensure that some of these incompetent umpires

do not umpire in the rest of the series," he said.
The BCCI is learnt to have already lodged a strong protest through its

vice-president Rajiv Shukla and is trying to get Bucknor removed from

the third Test, citing a recent precedent in Sri Lanka where umpire Rudi

Keortzen was removed as umpire from the next match after he wrongly

ruled Kumar Sangakaara out - Sri Lanka subsequently lost the match.

Keortzen remained on the ICC posting list and came to India for the

Kolkata Test where he made another blunder, giving Rahul Dravid

out caught behind though the batsman hadn't nicked the ball.
Even match referee Mike Procter is said to be unhappy with the umpiring

by Bucknor and Benson in this match. They made a combined contribution

to a phenomenal 12 bad decisions in the match (see box) -- a record that

overshadowed some classical innings with the bat and ball.
"I can only say that I am disappointed. I think a draw would have been a

fair result but everybody could see what happened. Unfortunately,

I am not in a position to make further comment" Kumble said.
"It's tough when you've played all forms of cricket over the last 25 years

and end up on the losing side like this, it does affect you. You try and take

it sportingly, but it's very difficult and it hurts when you lose like this and

then when you've had a great chance to win."
From the dressing room, a few unmentionables were mouthed in disgust

as the horror on field was revisited on the laptop of team analyst Dhanjaya.
As he walked back, Rahul Dravid could be seen laughing, shaking his head

at Bucknor's decision ruling him out.
Sourav Ganguly was next, adjudged caught by Michael Clarke at second

slip when there was considerable doubt about the ball carrying - in fact

TV replays showed the ball hit the ground. As Ganguly stood his ground,

umpire Benson chose to go by Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke's word.

Ganguly left reluctantly.
The umpires saw their wrong acts on the giant screen even before Dravid

and Ganguly left the ground but didn't call back the players -

England's Kevin Peitersen was called back during India's first Test at Lord's.
Ponting, meanwhile, defended Bucknor and Benson. "The players haven't

lost their confidence in the umpires. Everybody realizes that they are

trying to do their best," he said.
Upstairs, in one of the glass cases at the SCG boxes, Sunil Gavaskar,

head of the ICC cricket committee, was fuming. "This is utter nonsense.

They have robbed the sheen of a good Test match," he said on air.

Australia proposes peace talks to end India row


SYDNEY (Reuters) - 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 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

team mates were left fuming after their spinner Harbhajan

Singh was later suspended for racially abusing Australian

all-rounder 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 on Monday.
"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 captains to get together and have a chat."