THE Indian cricket board (BCCI) flexed its muscle in sensational fashion by suspending its team's tour of Australia pending the outcome of Harbhajan Singh's appeal.

Harbhajan's three-Test suspension for calling Symonds a "monkey" during the stormy SCG Test has triggered one of the most explosive developments in Australian sporting history.

The cash-rich BCCI risk a fine of up to $US2 million ($A2.3 million) for pulling out of the tour and could be liable to reimburse Cricket Australia for any losses incurred.

"The tour is on technically," said team spokesman M.V Sridhar in Sydney.

The side had been scheduled to head to Canberra but instead were ordered to remain in Sydney until the BCCI send further instructions.

The decision followed a turbulent 24 hours after Australia's dramatic victory over India at the SCG as relations between the two cricketing superpowers reached breaking point.

Harbhajan's punishment was the final straw for the embattled tourists who trailed in their four-Test series 2-0.

Skipper Anil Kumble provocatively accused the Australians of not playing in the spirit of the game after the SCG Test and BCCI big wigs have called on umpire Steve Bucknor to be scratched from the third Test in Perth scheduled to start Wednesday week.

They may get their wish with Bucknor likely to be rubbed out of the WACA clash.

The Indian camp intends on submitting its appeal against Harbhajan's suspension after launching a blistering attack on the findings from the International Cricket Council's six hour hearing overnight.

"The Indian Board realises the game of cricket is paramount but so too is the honour of the Indian team and for that matter every Indian," the BCCI said in a statement.

"To vindicate its position, the Board will fight the blatantly false and unfair slur on an Indian player.

"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."

The tourists have argued Harbhajan's hearing was a case of the word of the Indian players against that of the Australians.

In such a situation, they believe the spinner should not have been found guilty.

The latest developments clearly caught Cricket Australia off guard with a spokesman saying that high-level CA officials were unaware of the tour suspension despite having been in contact with BCCI president Sharad Pawar.

"Cricket Australia have not been advised to this affect and so are not in a position to comment at this stage," the CA spokesman said.

CA chief executive James Sutherland earlier tried to ease fears regarding the tour's future with the Indians due to play an ACT Invitational XI this week in Canberra.

"BCCI president Sharad Pawar made a commitment overnight (that the tour would continue) and that's good enough for me," Sutherland said.

Sutherland said CA was supportive of the "hard but fair" way Australia played, but was hopeful Ponting and Kumble could meet to discuss their sides' differences of opinion.

"Cricket Australia supports the Australian team in its endeavours to play the game as best they possibly can," he said.

"It's always been the Australian way to play the game of cricket hard but fair."

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said any boycott would be an extreme measure.

"They're entitled to do whatever they think is appropriate at the time, but for me that would be a little bit extreme," Ponting said before the tour was suspended.

The Indians have also lodged an official complaint against Australia's Brad Hogg for abusive language towards Kumble during the second Test.

Not that it should bother the Australian selectors too much.

The legspinner failed to fire on a crumbling final day SCG pitch and was tipped to make way for speedster Shaun Tait in Perth anyhow.

The Indians have two more Tests and a triangular one-day international tournament scheduled this summer with Sri Lanka.

The ugly developments have been predictably met with scenes of anger in the Indian streets with the burning of effigies of umpires Bucknor and Mark Benson along with protesters labelling Ponting a "cheat".

AAP

Harbhajan banned for racial slur

INDIA spinner Harbhajan Singh has been banned for three Tests after being found guilty of racial abuse for allegedly calling black Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds "a monkey", the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced.

The 27-year-old Harbhajan was found guilty under the ICC's Code of Conduct following the clash with Symonds on the third day of the acrimonious second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which Australia won by 122 runs.

The charge was laid by match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor after Australia captain Ricky Ponting had 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, match referee Mike Procter delivered his judgment.

He found the case against Harbhajan proved and informed the off-spinner, who has collected 255 wickets from 62 Tests, that he was imposing a ban of three Tests.

The contentious incident occurred when Harbhajan was batting with Sachin Tendulkar during India's first innings on Saturday.

It was alleged that Harbhajan had an argument with Symonds, during which time he used the word 'monkey', said an ICC statement.

"I am satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Harbhajan Singh directed that word at Andrew Symonds and also that he meant it to offend on the basis of Symonds' race or ethnic origin," Procter said.

The offence falls under 3.3 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which refers to players or team officials "using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent, or national or ethic origin".

In accordance with the Code of Conduct, the maximum penalty that could have been imposed for this offence was a ban of four Tests or eight one-day internationals.

Australia defeated India by 122 runs in a sensational finish to the second Test on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series, but the aftermath of the clash was dominated by accusations of bad sportsmanship and poor umpiring.

Harbhajan will miss the final two matches of the current series with the third Test beginning in Perth on January 16.

Harbhajan, who made 63 in the first innings, had denied he abused Symonds.

"I did not say anything racist. I do not know what is going on," he said on Saturday.

"I haven't done anything, we were just talking. It wasn't even sledging, it was just normal talk out on the cricket field. I was concentrating on my batting."

Symonds was subjected to monkey gestures from sections of the crowd during the last game of a seven-match one-day series in Mumbai in October, after earlier receiving similar abuse during the fourth game at Vadodara.

Paceman Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, who is not touring Australia, was involved in on-field verbal clashes with Symonds in the India series.

Racism in cricket has been a problem in the past.

Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist accused Pakistan counterpart Rashid Latif of racial abuse during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, but Latif was cleared because of a lack of evidence.

Australian Darren Lehmann was the first player to be banned for racial abuse when he was suspended for five one-dayers over a racial remark in earshot of the Sri Lankan dressing room during the 2002/2003 season.

Agence France-Presse