NEW DELHI: The Indian Cricket Board has kept all its options open, including pulling out of the tempestuous tour of Australia, if the ban on Harbhajan Singh was not revoked and Steve Bucknor was not removed from umpiring duties.
The BCCI, which has called an emergency Working Committee meeting here on Tuesday, said that its future course of action would mainly depend on what decision the International Cricket Council takes on its grievances.
A top BCCI source said it would not like to jeopardise the tour despite the "unfair and unacceptable" ruling on Harbhajan Singh but it could take the extreme step of abandoning the tour, if the ICC did not take corrective steps.
"We have already made it clear that we will appeal against the ban on Harbhajan as we feel that the allegation of racism against him is unacceptable. We want the ICC to suspend the order till final disposal of the case," the source said.
"Technically the tour is still on but we expect nothing less than a stay on the order," the source said.
Indian could risk a hefty USD 2 million (approx Rs 7.85 crore) fine from the ICC if it refuses to continue with the tour.
The Indian team management has been asked to stay put in Sydney and not proceed to Canberra till the matter is resolved.
The BCCI was also contemplating sending a lawyer to be with the team to assist them in legal matters that may arise after filing an appeal to ICC's Commissioner of Appeals.
The BCCI has also lodged a complaint on the horrendous umpiring decisions during the ill-tempered second cricket Test in Sydney and has asked the ICC to remove West Indian umpire Bucknor from the remaining matches.
Bucknor has been deputed for the third Test in Perth beginning January 16.
"We have asked the ICC not to depute Bucknor for the remaining matches. We feel that he was not neutral," the source said.
But an ICC spokesman said from Dubai that they have not received BCCI's complaint on umpires yet. "As things stand now there is no change in the panel of umpires for the third Test," he said.
The emergency meeting tomorrow is expected to discuss the Harbhajan and umpiring issues in detail before finalising its plan on the matter.
The meeting will also go through ICC match referee Mike Procter's order on Harbhajan and draw up its plans on how to fight the "false and unfair" slur cast on the ace Indian spinner.
Harbhajan was banned for three Tests after Procter in a marathon hearing upheld the Australian charge that he had racially abused all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
