India suspend tour

7 January 2008

Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds in action after the incident © Getty Images

India have suspended their tour of Australia while they appeal against the ban handed out to spinner Harbhajan Singh for racial abuse.

Harbhajan was suspended for three Tests after he was alleged to have called Andrew Symonds - the only non-white player in the Australian team - a “monkey”.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India responded by halting the tour with two Tests of the four-match series still to play.

A statement from the BCCI said: "The board will appeal to the International Cricket Council to review the decision of the match referee and suspend its operation till the appeal is disposed of.”

The India team will now stay in Sydney rather than travel to Canberra for a tour match on Thursday as they await the appeal against the decision by match referee Mike Procter, who was persuaded Harbhajan had used the word and that “he meant it to offend on the basis of Symonds' race or ethnic origin”.

The BCCI move is the latest development in an acrimonious series that has also seen India captain Anil Kumble criticise the Australian’s lack of sportsmanship.

“Only one team was playing within the spirit of the game, that's all I can say,” he said following the 122-run defeat.

Anil Kumble accused Australia of a lack of sportsmanship

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Three incidents, in particular, angered Kumble. The first came when Australia were 134 for six in their first innings and Symonds, on 30, got a thick edge to an Ishant Sharma delivery.

The all-rounder later admitted he was out, but umpire Steve Bucknor gave him the benefit of the doubt at the time, and he went on to make an unbeaten 162.

On the final day, the Australians claimed Rahul Dravid, then on 38, had edged behind - despite television replays showing the ball had come off the pad.

The third came when Sourav Ganguly was given out caught at second slip by Michael Clarke - with the umpires seemingly swayed by Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s insistence that the ball had carried even though replays proved inconclusive.

Ponting was satisfied there was “no doubt about this match being played in the right spirit”.

He added: “There's been one little issue that's come out of the game. Otherwise, the spirit between both teams in both Tests has been excellent.

“All I'll say about the umpires is that they're out there like me trying to do the best job that they can.

“Sure, they made a few mistakes - but that's the game of cricket.”