- Title: INDIA: CRICKET - India to continue Australia tour
- Date: 9th January 2008
- Summary: AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT, INDIA (JANUARY 8,2008) (ANI) CRICKET FANS CELEBRATING WITH FIRECRACKERS CRICKET FANS HOLDING POSTERS, PLACARDS AND SHOUTING VICTORY SLOGANS CRICKET FANS LIGHTING FIRECRACKERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) RUTU RAJANI, A CRICKET FAN, SAYING: "We burst the crackers, we gave sweets to everybody and plus it's a victory time, V-for victory. India has got vijay (victory). Bhajji, (Harbhajan Singh) we are very happy for you. Long live cricketers." WIDE OF CRICKET FANS WITH FIRECRACKERS
- Embargoed: 24th January 2008 11:25
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA7I39H0RX2GD9WEPIFYYW93UG0
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: India will resume their suspended tour of Australia but will continue to protest a ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh for racial abuse, the Indian cricket board said.
India will resume their suspended tour of Australia but will continue to protest against a possible ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh for racial abuse, the Indian cricket board said on Tuesday (January 8) in the national capital New Delhi.
A statement by the BCCI was read by the board's treasurer N. Srinivasan (Note: he is known by the initial "N" only).
"The working committee of the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) took note of all relevant circumstances and developments and decided that the Indian team tour to Australia should continue for the present. The BCCI will review the tour and all other developments continuously. The BCCI will request the ICC appeals commissioner, appointed to hear Harbhajan Singh's appeal to expeditiously dispose of the appeal in terms of regulation of the ICC code of conduct for players and team officials. ICC has clarified to the board that Harbhajan Singh could play till final disposal of the appeal. This is only an interim arrangement," said Srinivasan.
The BCCI stipulated that the player should eventually be cleared of the charge and a three-match ban issued by the International Cricket Council (ICC) dropped, a statement said.
Meanwhile cricket fans in India's western Ahmedabad celebrated the ICC's action, describing it as India's victory.
"We burst crackers, we gave sweets to everybody and plus it's a victory time, V-for victory. India has got vijay (victory). Bhajji, (Harbhajan Singh) we are very happy for you. Long live cricketers," said Ritu Rajani, a cricket fan.
Earlier in the day the ICC cleared Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh to resume playing until his appeal against a three-match ban is heard.
Harbhajan was suspended by ICC match referee Mike Procter 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.
The spinner has denied abusing Symonds and the Indian cricket board lodged an appeal on his behalf.
ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said a code of conduct commissioner would be appointed within the next 24 hours, though a date for Harbhajan's appeal had not yet been set.
Hosts Australia won the match by 122 runs to equal their own record of 16 consecutive test victories. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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