Harbhajan Singh hearing delayed until Sunday

The disciplinary hearing of India spinner Harbhajan Singh, who has been charged under Level 3 of the International Cricket Council’s Code of Conduct, has been delayed until the Test in Sydney finishes on Sunday.

The India off-spinner was charged on Saturday following an alleged incident that took place during the second Test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Mike Procter of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees delayed the hearing on the request of India team manager Chetan Chauhan who requested for more time to prepare for the case.

Explaining his decision, Mike Procter said: "At the request of the India team manager and under the circumstances I have exercised my discretionary powers to postpone the code of conduct hearing until the conclusion of this Test match.

“I am satisfied that with a further 24 hours India will have time to sufficiently prepare for this hearing."

The charge on Singh was laid by match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor after the close of play on day three of the match 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 alleged to have made a comment directed at an Australia player.

The alleged 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”.

If found guilty, Harbhajan could face a ban of between two and four Test matches or between four and eight One-Day Internationals.

The full ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials can be found at: http://in.yimg.com/icccricket/pdfs/code-of-conduct-for-players-and-officials.pdf