Indian board to appeal Harbhajan ban

The Indian cricket board on Monday vowed to appeal against the three-Test ban slapped on Harbhajan Singh for racially abusing Australia's Andrew Symonds during the ill-tempered Sydney Test.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said it did not accept the findings of match referee Mike Procter and would lodge a protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

"The Indian board does not accept the findings of the match referee and has decided to challenge the unfair decision to suspend Harbhajan Singh as it deems it patently unfair," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said in a statement.

"The board will appeal to the ICC to review the decision of the match referee and suspend its operation until the appeal is disposed of."

Harbhajan, 27, was found guilty under the ICC's code of conduct following a clash with Symonds on the third day of the acrimonious second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) which Australia won by 122 runs Sunday.

The charge was laid by match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor after Australia captain Ricky Ponting accused Harbhajan of making a "monkey" comment at Symonds, the only black player in the home team.

Following a four-hour hearing held at the SCG, Procter delivered his judgement.

The BCCI said it would not tolerate "unfair" treatment of any of its players while also questioning the manner in which the hearing was conducted.

"The Indian board realises the game of cricket is paramount but so too is the honour of the Indian team. To vindicate its position, the board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player.

"The board also questions the very conduct of the hearing as the match referee, before reaching his decision, disregarded the essential point of any inquiry, that it should be based on facts, rational, detached and objective."

The BCCI has also said it will lodge an official complaint against "incompetent" umpiring in the Sydney Test.