Anjali Doshi/NDTV
With PTI Inputs
Sydney, Jan 7: In the face of the ongoing controversy, the BCCI has decided to suspend the Australian tour of Team India.
Earlier, the Board had advised the Indian cricket team to stay on in Sydney and not to fly to Canberra, as scheduled earlier, for a practice match.
The BCCI, which held a meeting at the New Delhi residence of President Sharad Pawar said that the team will stay in Sydney till formalities on Brad Hogg and Bhajji inquiries get over.
The BCCI Working Committee will meet in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss the matter further.
After the meeting, Vice President Rajiv Shukla told reporters the BCCI has officially asked ICC to drop Steve Bucknor as the umpire from the next Test starting from January 16. BCCI's Niranjan Shah spoke to Doug Cowie, Manager of the ICC Umpires Panel in this connection.
The team, meanwhile, will stay on in Sydney on Monday night and will file an appeal against the match referee's decision to ban Harbhajan for three Tests.
The off-spinner will file the appeal as per ICC rules, and the BCCI says it will extend full support to him.
The Team Management will also lodge a complaint against Brad Hogg, who allegedly abused Indian players.
Earlier, Board Vice President said in New Delhi that BCCI will appeal to ICC to withdraw racism charge against Harbhajan. Shukla added that the BCCI considers the ban on Harbhjan Singh as 'unfair' and 'unacceptable'.
Harbhajan has been banned for three Tests for making racial taunts against Andrew Symonds during the second Test between India and Australia.
Match Referee Mike Procter upheld the Australian charge that Harbhajan had racially abused their all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
Procter gave a marathon four-hour hearing to Harbhajan, who denied the charge and was supported by skipper Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, manager Chetan Chauhan and media manager M V Sridhar during the deliberations.
Procter also heard Symonds, who was backed by Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke along with team manager Steve Bernard, who attended the hearing to testify against the Indian spinner.
The offence falls under 3.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct which refers to players or team officials "using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethic origin."
The appeal will be made to the Commissioner of Appeals and pending the appeal, the off-spinner can continue to play.
In accordance to the Code of Conduct, the maximum penalty that could have been imposed for this offence was a ban of four Test matches or eight one-day internationals.
BCCI's Chief Administrative Manager Ratnakar Shetty said it was an "unfortunate" development. "There was no evidence against Harbhajan so I don't know how they could arrive at such a conclusion."
When asked what the Aussies brought to the hearing, which resulted in a verdict in their favour, Shetty said "we are not concerned about what the Australians think."
Harbhajan Singh's mother is also upset with latest controversy and has reacted to the ICC's decision.
"It's not fair at all. My son wasn't the only one wrong and that's why it is not fair at all. They have gone to play there, and the other players should be punished as well if they have made a mistake," said Avtar Kaur, Harbhajan Singh's mother.
The off-spinner vehemently denied saying anything racial during the altercation.