BCCI wants Bhajji ban revoked

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) today welcomed the removal of umpire Steve Bucknor from India's third Test against Australia in Perth and vowed to fight the racism slur on Harbhajan Singh.

"We are happy to hear that ICC has removed Bucknor from the third Test. It is a victory for us," Rajiv Shukla, vice president, BCCI, said today.

"We have a working committee meeting in the evening where we will decide on the future course of action," Shukla added.

BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, meanwhile, asserted that India would do everything to fight the racism slur on Harbhajan.

"We are watching the Harbhajan issue more closely. It is more important that the umpiring issue because he has been accused of racism and we will never tolerate any such thing," Shah said.

"We have already made an appeal against his ban and we are waiting for the process to start," he said.

Shah said BCCI had told ICC to look into the umpiring blunders in the match that cost India the second test.

"We have told them to look at the decisions he has given which cost the match. Our team lost the match due to Bucknor and it is good for the team that he was changed," he said.

BCCI chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty also made it clear that the board was not happy with the way match referee Mike Procter went by the Australian players and banned Harbhajan.

"For us, Harbhajan's case is more important at this point of time. The manner in which the hearing was conducted, that itself has been challenged. We are asking ICC to withdraw the charge against him," Shetty said.