Pawar’s pull-out threat: Racism charge against Harbhajan is unacceptable

In an interview to an Australian newspaper, BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has hinted that the threat of India pulling out of the tour was real if the ban 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 will take action,” he was quoted as saying in The Herald Sun. “There will be an (ICC) committee hearing. We are confident that in the hearing he will be cleared,” he added.

But in Kolkata today, Pawar said that the standoff would not impact the tour. “There is no question of a pull-out. The series will not be affected. We are focussed on fighting Harbhajan’s case but it should be within the game,” he said.

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.

“BCCI has decided to give full support to Harbhajan and provide legal help to fight it out. If that means we have to seek legal assistance from abroad, we will do that,” Pawar told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar.

“Three members of the Board — Arun Jaitley and N Srinivasan, who are noted lawyers, and President-Elect Shashank Manohar—will look after the case,” he said.

Pawar, however, expressed satisfaction at the way the ICC had dealt with the Harbhajan case and the umpiring controversy as also the attitude of Cricket Australia on these issues.