India's cricket team will appeal a three-match suspension against spin bowler Harbhajan Singh and "suspend" operations until the International Cricket Council (ICC) hears the case.
India officials said in a statement issued yesterday by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that they would challenge "the unfair decision" to suspend Singh over racist remarks made to Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds during the second Test and that it would "suspend its operation until the appeal is disposed of."
The BCCI said it had convened an emergency meeting in India for today. Indian officials did not immediately say whether that could result in the team not playing the third Test in Perth.
"The board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player," said the statement, released by officials at the team's downtown Sydney hotel.
The Indian team was scheduled to travel to Canberra by bus yesterday for a two-day tour match later this week, but earlier in the day decided not to leave Sydney.
Cricket Australia said later yesterday that there had been "no advice of the Indian tour to Australia being canceled."
Chief executive officer James Sutherland said Cricket Australia and the Indian cricket board are continuing to discuss "issues" arising from the Sydney Test, "however, those discussions have not included any advice that the tour will not continue."
India could risk a US$2 million fine from the ICC if they refuse to continue playing the tour.
Under ICC rules, member countries are obliged to fulfill their tour contracts except when the security of the players is at risk or the touring team's government orders that the tour should not proceed.
India could also be liable to reimburse Cricket Australia for any losses incurred.
"Unfair allegation of racism against our Indian player is wholly unacceptable," said BCCI president Sharad Pawar, who is also a senior government minister, in the statement. "The game of cricket is paramount but so too is the honor of India's cricket team and every Indian. The BCCI is committed to protect the country's fair name."
Relations between the teams reached a crisis point after the second Test when India captain Anil Kumble accused the Australians of not playing fair.
"Only one team was playing in the spirit of the game," Kumble said.
Australia won the match on Sunday by 122 runs when Michael Clarke took three wickets in five deliveries with just seven balls to spare.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said he believed the match had been played in an excellent spirit and Sutherland suggested yesterday that Ponting and Kumble should try to help mend fences.
"It's only appropriate in that circumstance for Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble to get together to talk about what differences of opinion there may be in that regard," Sutherland said.
The Indian team also expressed their lack of confidence in umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor, and requested that Bucknor be removed from the third Test in Perth.
The Indians appeared to have had at least five umpiring decisions go against them in Sydney, the most blatant an appeal for caught behind against Symonds when he was on 30 in the first innings.
An ICC spokesman said late yesterday that it had not received a request from India for any umpiring changes and that there would be no revision of umpiring assignments for the rest of the tour. Bucknor is scheduled to umpire in Perth.
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