ICC gives in; Bhajji in, Bucknor out

BREAKING NEWS

There might be some respite for the Indian team Down Under with the ICC clearing Harbhajan Singh, who was slapped with a three-match ban for allegedly racially abusing Australian all rounder Andrew Symonds, to play until a decision is made on the BCCI appeal against the ban. In due course, the ICC will appoint a Code of Conduct Commissioner to hear BCCI appeal on Harbhajan. Once the Commissioner has been named details of when and where the appeal hearing is to take place will be released. In the mean time, according to the Code of Conduct regulations, Harbhajan may continue to play pending verdict of the appeal being given.

The ICC also announced that controversial umpire Steve Bucknor will also not stand in the third Test between India and Australia to be played at Perth. ICC president Malcolm Speed told a news conference that New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden would stand in his place.

Bucknor has been in the eye of the storm lately after the West Indies umpire gave several dubious decisions, all but one against the visiting Indian side. The 62-year old Bucknor has not been on the best of terms with the Indian side with several of his decisions not going down well in the Indian team in the past as well. But his relations soared even further after the BCCI and the Indian team asked for his removal from the third Test

Some of Bucknor’s calls at the SCG were baffling and created a huge uproar in India with the Indian team, media as well as the general public crying foul.