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Indian team’s departure delayed

Sydney: The Indian cricket team has delayed its departure to Canberra in order to file an appeal against Harbhajan Singh’s three-Test ban on an alleged racial abuse against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

“There is a lot of paperwork required and we need to be proper in our appeal hence we are delaying our departure. We have been asked by the BCCI to stay in Sydney until we get further instructions,” Media Manager, M.V. Sridhar, said from the team hotel on Monday.

The Indian team was scheduled to leave by bus at 10.30 a.m. local time for Canberra where it will play a three-day game against Australian Cricketers’ Territory (ACT) Invitational XI beginning on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Cricket Australia Chief Executive, James Sutherland, said he was confident India would continue with the tour.

“The BCCI President, Sharad Pawar, made a commitment overnight (that the tour would continue) and that’s good enough for me,” Sutherland told reporters on Monday.

Peace talks

He also urged Australian captain Ricky Ponting to hold peace talks with his Indian counterpart Anil Kumble to try and resolve the escalating crisis between their teams.

Sutherland wants the rival captains to hold a private meeting to avert any threat of the tour being cancelled as tensions threaten to boil over.

“It’s not for me to comment on whether Anil Kumble is out of line,” Sutherland told said in Melbourne on Monday.

“That is something that Anil and Ricky need to sit down and discuss. Kumble had a fantastic Test match as a captain and a player and there is no doubt he was disappointed in the end.

“To some extent it’s not surprising in that emotionally charged environment to say what he did. But in the course of the next few days it is time for the two captains to get together and have a chat.” — Agencies

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