Confirmation of media arrangements for ICC Code of Conduct appeal hearing involving Harbhajan Singh

The ICC Code of Conduct appeal hearing against India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh will take place at the Federal Court of South Australia, Level 5, Roma Mitchell Commonwealth Law Courts Building, Adelaide on Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 January.

The following are arrangements for the media on the first day of the hearing:

Personnel involved in the hearing are expected to start arriving from 1030 CDT (0000 GMT) on Wednesday with the hearing scheduled to get underway at 1100 CDT (0030 GMT). The hearing has been altered at the request of Harbhajan’s counsel to accommodate the time difference between Australia and India.

However, please note, in keeping with normal protocol, the hearing will be closed with no access for the media or public.
The hearing will be presided over by Appeals Commissioner Justice John Hansen. Justice Hansen will make no comment ahead of the verdict being handed down.

Vision - Pool pictures from inside the hearing as it convenes will be available via Channel Nine.

Broadcasters requiring earlier play-out of arrival shots of those attending the hearing and satellite details should contact David McCombe, Channel 9 Foreign Desk Editor, at +61 (0) 2 9965 2200 or vie email at dmccombe@nine.comau.

Photographs - Getty Images will photograph the scene as the hearing convenes. Those media outlets requiring the images should contact Getty Images’ Sydney Picture Desk on +61 (2) 9004 2206 or via email at graham.denholm@gettyimages.com.

After the first day of the hearing it is likely the ICC will issue a statement via email detailing the day’s events which may also, if possible, give some indication of when the hearing is likely to conclude.

At the conclusion of the hearing, Justice Hansen will, according to H11(g) of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials, provide a written decision to the ICC which shall be forwarded to the appellant Mr Harbhajan Singh, the adjudicator Mr Mike Procter and the ICC Chief Executive Mr Malcolm Speed.

The statement will also be released via email to those members of the media on the ICC’s email distribution list and also on the ICC’s website, www.icc-cricket.com

Details of the hearing

The hearing will consider testimony, audio and video footages and witness statements relevant to this case.

Harbhajan was found guilty of breaching the Level 3.3 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 ethnic origin” during the third day’s play in the second Test between India and Australia at Sydney.

The charge against Harbhajan was laid by the on-field umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson of the Emirates Elite Panel after the close of play on day three of the second Test between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground following a complaint they received from the Australia captain, Ricky Ponting.

The complaint was made by Ponting after the 116th over of India’s first innings, prior to which Harbhajan is accused of making a racist comment directed at Australia’s Andrew Symonds.

The Code of Conduct hearing was conducted by Mike Procter of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees after the Test concluded on Sunday 6 January.

Harbhajan pleaded not guilty to the charge. Procter found that the case was proved and imposed a ban of three Test matches on the India spinner.

Under the provisions of the ICC Code of Conduct, Justice Hansen has the power to increase, decrease, amend or otherwise substitute his own decision from that made at the previous hearing, and his decision is final and binding.

In addition to Justice Hansen, those also confirmed as attending include, team captains Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Sachin Tendulkar, Andrew Symonds, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke while the two umpires, Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson will also give evidence.

The Appeals Commissioner will be assisted by Mr John Jordan SC while both the teams will also have legal assistance.

The full text of the ICC Code of Conduct and its processes can be found at:

http://in.yimg.com/icccricket/pdfs/code-of-conduct-for-players-and-officials.pdf