BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has said the threat of India pulling out of the cricket tour of Australia was real if the ban on spinner Harbhajan Singh was not lifted."Let's see what happens, but allegations of racism against a member of our cricket team are not acceptable. After the meeting, we then will take action," he was quoted as saying in 'The Hearld Sun'.Pawar confirmed that he has been empowered by the Board to decide on the matter."That is true but I will only use the power in support of Harbhajan for the rest of the country," he said."There will be an (ICC) committee hearing. We are confident that in the hearing he will be cleared," he added.An ICC spokesman has said the hearing into Harbhajan's appeal will take longer than the stipulated seven days."It should be held within seven days of a Commissioner being appointed but that can be extended," he said.New Zealand's High Court judge John Hansen has been appointed the Appeals Commissioner for the hearing.A three-test ban was imposed on Harbhajan Singh for allegedly racially abusing Australian Andrew Symonds. The decision outraged Indian players and the BCCI, who had threatened to abandon the tour after the controversial second test in Sydney, marred by atrocious umpiring by Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.
