SPORTS
BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has said the threat of India pulling out of the cricket tour of Australia was real if the ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh was not lifted.
MELBOURNE: BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has said the threat of India pulling out of the cricket tour of Australia was real if the ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh was not lifted.
"Let's see what happens, but allegations of racism against a member of our cricket team are not acceptable. After the meeting, we then will take action," he was quoted as saying in 'The Hearld Sun'.
Pawar confirmed that he has been empowered by the Board to decide on the matter.
"That is true but I will only use the power in support of Harbhajan for the rest of the country," he said.
"There will be an (ICC) committee hearing. We are confident that in the hearing he will be cleared," he added.
An ICC spokesman has said the hearing into Harbhajan's appeal will take longer than the stipulated seven days.
"It should be held within seven days of a Commissioner being appointed but that can be extended," he said.
New Zealand's High Court judge John Hansen has been appointed the Appeals Commissioner for the hearing.
Harbhajan was slapped a three-Test ban for allegedly racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds outraging the Indian players and Board, who had threatened to abandon the tour after the controversial second Test in Sydney, marred by poor umpiring by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.
The ICC stepped in to diffuse the explosive situation by removing Bucknor from umpiring duties for the rest of the series. It also appointed Chief Referee Ranjan Madugalle as a facilitator for the third Test in Perth to ease the tension between the two sides.
The BCCI's working committee, which had met for an emergency meeting in Delhi on January 8, had authorized President Pawar to take all possible steps at his command and deploy all human and material resources available to get Harbhajan cleared of the "obnoxious and baseless" accusation.
The working committee had also authorised the President and office bearers to take all appropriate decisions and exercise all available options in dealing with the situation emerging during the course of the hearing.
Badshah breaks his silence on dating rumours with Pakistani star Hania Aamir: ‘We have a lot of…’
Delhi pollution: Air quality deteriorates to 'severe' category in Delhi-NCR; AQI at 419
'I think bro is her EX': Man performs risky bike stunt with burqa-clad woman in Bangladesh, watch
Viral video: Little girl's power-packed dance to 'beer song' melts hearts online, watch
Explained: Why India must win the 1st Test against Australia in Perth
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here