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Indian team postpone departure to Canberra

Agencies

Posted online: Tuesday , January 08, 2008 at 1321 hrs IST
      

Sydney, January 7:: The Indian cricket team on Monday postponed its departure to Canberra to file an appeal against the three Test ban slapped on Harbhajan Singh for alleged racist comments on all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

The team stayed put in the hotel, postponing their trip to Canberra where they will play a tour match, but sources said there is no immediate threat to the ongoing tour as yet.

"The visitors are unlikely to leave for Canberra today where they are scheduled to play a two-day game against Australia Cricketers Territory (ACT) XI beginning on January 10," sources said.

"We are most likely to leave for Canberra tomorrow. If there is no threat to the tour, there is no threat to this side game also," commented a member of the team management on condition of anonymity.

Earlier the team twice changed its plan to leave for Canberra, first looking to keep their scheduled departure of 10.30 am local time intact, climbing up the bus and staying put in it for close to two hours.

The parleys between the team management and Indian board back home then made players retrace their steps back to the team hotel. Again, in the afternoon, there appeared a possibility for players to leave for Canberra before this plan too was shelved.

Apparently Board had wanted the team to stay in Sydney as the paperwork regarding the filing of appeal on behalf of Harbhajan needed to be done in good time.

"There is a lot of paperwork required and we need to be proper in our appeal hence we are delaying our departure to Sydney," said media manager MV Sridhar from the team hotel on Monday morning.

The Indian players held a meeting at the team hotel to express their solidarity for Harbhajan.

The meeting --'an informal one,' according to media manager MV Sridhar---held under the stewardship of skipper Anil Kumble, was also an attempt to convey to the Indian cricket board the simmering discontent of the team on the injustice meted out to Harbhajan.

Team India is unable to come to terms with the fact that Harbhajan has been deemed guilty on the basis of hearsay, the testimony which Symonds, team-mates Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden, provided to the match referee Mike Procter.

There is a tremendous disquiet among the boys on the manner justice and fair play was given a short shrift by the two umpires as well as the Australian team during the Sydney Test at the SCG which the hosts won by 122 runs. There is no immediate threat to the tour nor any ultimatum has been conveyed to the Board but cricketers have sought their best to convey how strongly they feel about the issue.

They sure want the board to take up the issue with utmost seriousness.

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  • Comments
     
Maa-Dhar-Ch0d Aussies
by Harbhajan Zindabad on 2008-01-08 13:57:36.399276+05:30
I think the aussies are basically bas__tards. They behave like a bunch of maa- dhar - ch0ds. Basically their ancestors are all bhen-ch0ds and they where sent to austaralia as criminals after being ch0d0fied by the emperor of britin. This is the reason they look like monkeys and not kangaroos. Harbhajan Zindabad
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An Aussie for India
by Caroline Brown on 2008-01-07 18:08:07.127665+05:30
As an Australian, I am ashamed at the sportsmanship of the Australian team. The composure and grace of Anil Kumble during this difficult time has given me a light in these dark times, and I hope the captain of my own country's team can find both inspiration and humility from it. I hope the test series continues, only to see Anil Kumble and his team play with their courage and class again. Today, I would be proud to be Indian, and am ashamed of being Australian.
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BCCI selfish
by Prakash on 2008-01-07 18:01:08.032205+05:30
Relentless after cash, BCCI is now fooling the public with this- while threatening to abondon of the tour on one hand, at the same time it has agreed in advance to the Aussie cricket board's demand to continue as if nothing's happened. WEAK and gutless as usual.
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Stop the tour-withdraw from ICC
by Dr.S.S.Seshia on 2008-01-07 17:20:41.634548+05:30
Mr.Pawar must act. The tour must stop-the atmosphere is like a war zone. India must withdraw from the ICC till justice is done. Show Gandhian courage. Refuse to pay any fine.Act Mr. Pawar.India's honor cannot be compromised. Our money pays Australian cricketers, and biased umpires.
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Cricket
by ajit on 2008-01-07 16:10:04.021906+05:30
BCCI should take the ban on bhajji as ban on entire team. Call back entire team ans send another team to Australia. This type of action cannot attract the penal;ty, while conveying our strong feelings
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