Australia expect full tour

9 January 2008

James Sutherland has faith in the India team fulfilling their obligations

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland is confident India will complete the rest of their Australian tour despite the BCCI indicating they would only “continue for the present”.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India lifted their suspension of the series, but indicated the team could return home if spinner Harbhajan Singh is not exonerated after being hit with a three-Test ban for racist abuse.

But Sutherland said he had no concern that the rest of the tour would not go ahead.

"We've got to get on with playing the game here,” Sutherland said. “India has made a commitment to tour Australia, they have a contractual commitment to complete that tour and I am sure we will see that commitment met.

"India is a team we have played against and respected for 60 years and that will last for a long, long time into the future."

With strong criticism being directed against the Australia team and, in particular, captain Ricky Ponting following the end of the controversial second Test in Sydney, Sutherland defended the players.

Ricky Ponting has come in for much criticism of his conduct as captain © Getty Images

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"Criticism levelled at them (the Australian team) I believe is inappropriate and I have spoken to Ricky Ponting and made it absolutely clear to him on behalf of the board of Cricket Australia that we do not support that criticism and the support of him and his team is absolute," Sutherland said.

"The Australian cricket team will be the first to admit they are not perfect and they are not right all of the time but they get it right a lot more now than they used to."

Sutherland claimed the Australia team had long prided themselves on playing the game “hard but fair” and this had been no different during the Sydney Test.

"Test cricket is what is being played here. It's not tiddly winks," he said.

"It's a tough game and out there from time to time emotions will boil over and perhaps some of the words said would not be acceptable in gentile company but they are said and that is what happens."

The International Cricket Council weighed into the dispute by announcing it had stood down umpire Steve Bucknor from the upcoming third Test in Perth and also appointed its chief referee Ranjan Madugalle to act as a mediator between rival captains Ponting and Anil Kumble in a bid to end the ill-feeling between the teams.

Sutherland, who revealed Ponting had made an offer immediately after the end of the second Test to meet with Kumble, revealed he was "confident" the captains could reconcile any differences so the Test series could continue without further disruption.