Bucknor sacked, Harbhajan appeal date unknown
5PM: BREAKING NEWS
India has had one of its wishes in the wash up to the controversial SCG test granted, with 61 year old Steve Bucknor axed from the upcoming third test at the WACA.
The West Indian umpire has been sensationally removed, in place of New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden.
“We could have taken a heavy handed approach, a letter of the law approach. What we need to do is alleviate some of the tension that is focused on this match. I think this gives us an opportunity to move on,” said ICC chief Malcolm Speed at a packed press conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
“This is an extraordinary set of circumstances.
“It’s not unlike the situation cricket faced at The Oval in July of 2006.” That situation was Pakistan’s forfeit against England, costing the game millions of dollars. A situation the ICC does not want to repeat.
Speed said he was confident the remainder of the Indian series would continue, despite the BCCI suspending the tour pending an appeal against Harbhajan Singh’s three-test suspension for racial abuse.
“I believe the final two tests will go ahead. I believe the (tour) match in Canberra will be played.”
The tour may get a reprieve simply by virtue of the fact the Harbhajan appeal hearing might not be possible before next Wednesday’s WACA test.
“The appeal will likely involve a re-hearing of the evidence Mike Proctor heard on Sunday evening. That involved some ten players and officials. Some of them are in Canberra, some of them have gone back home. They’ll be gathering in Perth ahead of the test match sometime next week,” Speed said.
“I simply don’t know whether (the hearing) will be able to happen before that test match, before the next test match (in Adelaide), I don’t know when it will be, other than as soon as possible. If an appeal decision is not given before the start of the match, (Harbhajan) is free to play.”
The ICC has also taken the extraordinary step of employing chief referee Ranjit Mattagale to act as a ‘mediator’ between rival captains Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble.
“Ranjit’s task is to bring the captains together, the teams together, and make sure that they go into the Perth test with a new frame of mind,” Speed said.
South Africa’s Mike Proctor will continue as match referee for the remainder of the series.
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why did umpire cheat ?? just only for that captain ricky ponting that is the reason or what
only for that australia was loosing that i know this is the big reason of australian if ricky ponting thinks that he is the best captain of the best team if it could be that he will play that test match again without cheating .