Ponting frets about Gambhir
Sports Staff and Sapa-AFP Published:Nov 05, 2008
The players ban could backfire
RICKY Ponting is worried about a potentially explosive incident before the start of the final cricket Test today.
But the Australian captains counterpart, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is almost sure it wont happen.
The reason for Pontings concern is the ban on Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir, who was found guilty on Tuesday of elbowing Aussie allrounder Shane Watson in the last Test.
Match referee Chris Broad suspended Gambhir for the match starting in Nagpur today, but the Indians were hoping the openers appeal would be postponed.
However, the International Cricket Council produced South African judge Albie Sachs to hear the appeal, which was upheld. Under ICC regulations, the appeal verdict is final and cannot be questioned by a player or his board.
The Indian board issued a statement afterwards, criticising the judgment. Ponting is now worried that history could repeat itself.
In November 2001, during a series in South Africa between the Proteas and India, match referee Mike Denness found six Indian players guilty of various offences in a Test played in Port Elizabeth. But it was the ban on Virender Sehwag for over-appealing that caused the controversy.
The incident precipitated a crisis, with India refusing to accept Dennesss ruling and threatening to call off the tour.
Denness was replaced as match referee for the next Test and, when Sehwag was included in the Indian team, the ICC declared the game unofficial. Denness was locked out of the Centurion Park ground for the Test, the third in the series, which South Africa won 1-0.
A similar situation could develop today, if the Indians again defy the ICC by fielding Gambhir. If the final match in the four-Test series is also declared unofficial, the Indians would win the series 1-0.
But Dhoni, who has succeeded Anil Kumble to the captaincy, said he was almost sure the banned opening batsman would not play.
The Indian board has, so far, refused to accept the ruling on Gambhir and called Sachss decision into question.
The said order has been passed without affording the player an opportunity of personal hearing, legal representation and without acceding to his request for certain documents/recordings to be given to him and also denying him an extension of time, said the secretary of the board .
But the board has named opening batsman Murali Vijay as an addition to the squad for the fourth Test, presumably as cover for Gambhir.
