New Delhi, Jan 08:BCCI President Sharad Pawar on Tuesday thanked the International Cricket Council (ICC) for removing controversial umpire Steve Bucknor from the third India-Australia Test in Perth.
Pawar was also happy that Harbhajan Singh was now free to play in Perth.
Reacting to the ICC`s decision to replace Bucknor with Billy Bowden for the Perth Test after the Jamaican`s series of blunders in Sydney, Pawar said it was a prerogative of the governing body to change match officials and he was happy that they addressed India`s grievances.
"We had appealed to the ICC to review the performance of the umpires in the last two matches and take appropriate action. I`m grateful that ICC has taken this decision and removed him. The Indian Board is quite happy about that," Pawar said.
Pawar also sought to pre-empt any suggestion that the ICC succumbed to the muscle-flexing of the richest cricket board and said the decision to remove Bucknor was completely an ICC prerogative.
Bureau Report
