JOHANNESBURG: Herschelle Gibbs will be able to play in the second cricket Test against Pakistan in Port Elizabeth starting on Friday after appealing against a two-Test ban for ``racially offensive'' comments broadcast over a stump microphone during the first Test in Centurion.

According to a statement from the International Cricket Council (ICC), the ICC has to appoint an Appeals Commissioner within two days, who then has seven days in which to hear the appeal.

The Gibbs affair has been front-page news in South Africa and the player has received public support after being heard making racist remarks about Pakistan supporters.

A poll in The Star newspaper found that 78 per cent of people felt Gibbs' ban was unjustified and only 22 per cent thought it was fair.

Association's support

The South African Cricketers' Association has leant its full support to Gibbs. Chief Executive, Tony Irish, said: ``Gibbs says he has not made any racist remarks nor has he been racist to any one and therefore he has not transgressed any rule of the ICC regarding racism," he said.

Conflicting reports

Meanwhile, conflicting reports of the incidents, which led to Gibbs' remarks, have been published in South African newspapers.

The three spectators who were moved from seats near the boundary after allegedly swearing at bowler Paul Harris claim that Harris swore at them.

But other spectators say the Pakistani supporters were abusive and made watching the game unpleasant for people sitting near them.

Gibbs' father, meanwhile, has accused the ICC of looking away when South African players were victims of racist remarks in Australia last year. ``There are a bunch of incorrigible old men in the ICC,'' Herman Gibbs told the South African SuperSport website.

``They were unable to do anything about match-fixing and are too afraid to tackle any controversial matter properly.'' — Agencies

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