Scrambling to get India’s Test series in Australia back on track following widespread outrage over the ban on Harbhajan Singh and the poor umpiring that marred the second match in Sydney, the International Cricket Council (ICC) today removed umpire Steve Bucknor from the next Test starting in Perth on January 16.

The ICC also appointed its chief referee Sri Lankan Ranjan Madugalle as a “facilitator” to assist match referee Mike Procter who had banned the Indian off-spinner for three Tests on charges of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

“It is accepted that Steve (Bucknor), and his on-field colleague Mark Benson, did not have good games by their very high standards and we feel that given the added pressure and attention Steve’s presence would have at the third Test, it is better for the match and for Steve himself if he does not take part,” said ICC Chief Executive Malcolm Speed at a press conference in Melbourne.

Bucknor and Benson had sparked a furore with a series of appalling decisions in the second Test that India lost by 122 runs. With most of those decisions going against India, the tour plunged into uncertainty after match referee Procter handed down the ban against Harbhajan.

The Indians had denied the charges strongly, and have stayed put in Sydney since, waiting for the BCCI to “sort out both matters” with the ICC, instead of proceeding to Canberra for a scheduled practice game.

Speed, however, insisted that the move to remove Bucknor was not “due to any representations made by any team or individuals”.

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