'The Tour Should Continue For The Present'

Following is the statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in Indiaafter its emergency Working Committee meeting here today.

The Working Committee of The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) mettoday to deliberate over issues that have unfortunately cropped up during theongoing Indian tour to Australia. The Working Committee fully and unequivocallyendorsed the stand taken by the President and concerned officials with respectto the quality of umpiring and totally uncalled for, unjustified and patentlyillegal ban imposed on Harbhajan Singh by the match referee. The WorkingCommittee also supported the statement issued on behalf of the Board on 7thJanuary and the appeals filed.

The Working Committee also reiterated that the ban imposed on Harbhajan Singhis totally unacceptable. It further authorized the President to take allpossible steps at his command and deploy all human and material resourcesavailable, to get the player cleared of the obnoxious and baseless accusation.

The President and office bearers were further authorized to take allappropriate decisions and exercise all available options in dealing with thesituation emerging during the course of the hearing.

The Working Committee of the BCCI took note of all relevant circumstances anddevelopments and decided that Indian team tour to Australia should continue"for the Present". The BCCI will review the tour and all otherdevelopments continuously. The BCCI will request the ICC Appeals Commissioner,appointed to hear Harbhajan Singhs appeal to expeditiously dispose of the appealin terms of Regulation H-11 (e) of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and TeamOfficials.

ICC has clarified to the Board that Harbhajan Singh could play till finaldisposal of the appeal. This is only an interim arrangement. BCCI is of thecategorical view that the matter will have to be finally resolved and the unfairallegation against an Indian player be set aside/withdrawn.

The Working Committee appreciated the efforts of the President and otherofficials and also the positive role played by Cricket Australia, President ofICC and CEO of ICC