Aussie skipper Ponting pleads for calm after India fallout

AUSTRALIA captain Ricky Ponting has called for calm after India supporters demonstrated in the streets in response to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) decision to ban spin bowler Harbhajan Singh for three Tests.

India called a halt to their Australian tour and lodged an appeal with the ICC after Harbhajan, 27, was found guilty of calling Andrew Symonds a “monkey” during India’s ill-tempered second Test defeat in Sydney.

After a complaint was made by Australia during the game, match referee Mike Procter was persuaded Harbhajan had used the word and that “he meant it to offend on the basis of Symonds’ race or ethnic origin”.