India withdraw tour quit threat

India withdraw tour quit threat

Harbhajan has been defended by his captain

India have withdrawn their threat to quit the tour of Australia if an appeal against Harbhajan Singh's ban fails.

The spinner was suspended for three games for allegedly making a racist comment to Australian Andrew Symonds in the second Test in Sydney.

Harbhajan has denied making the comment and the appeal is due to take place before the third Test on 16 January.

"There's no question of it being called off," India cricket board president Sharad Pawar was quoted as saying.

BCCI board spokesman Rajiv Shukla quoted Pawar and said: "He (Pawar) said the two boards intend to maintain good relations as there is no problem with the two."

India suspended their tour on Monday after Harbhajan was banned for three Tests following a hearing into the incident.

The tourists were outraged that Harbhajan was punished, claiming the spinner did not racially abuse Symonds and that the verdict was based on hearsay.

In a statement issued after the decision, the Board of Control for Cricket in India called the ban "totally uncalled for, unjustified and patently illegal" and said it would "take all possible steps... to get the player cleared of the obnoxious and baseless accusation".

India were also incensed by several controversial umpiring decisions, especially by Steve Bucknor, during a tempestuous second Test, which Australia won in dramatic style.

But Bucknor has been replaced by Billy Bowden for the next Test in Perth.

India captain Anil Kumble also accused Australia of gamesmanship during the second Test.

India also put in a complaint over comments made by Australian spinner Brad Hogg to Kumble and Mahendra Dhoni as the two nations became embroiled in an unsavoury row.

But there seems to be an uneasy peace between the two camps at present ahead of the start of the third Test.