The Indian cricket team held a meeting at a hotel in Sydney on Monday morning to express solidarity with Harbhajan Singh, who has been slapped with a three-Test suspension for an alleged racial abuse against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
The meeting -- "an informal one", according to media manager MV Sridhar -- was held under the stewardship of skipper Anil Kumble, was also an attempt to convey the Indian Cricket Board the simmering discontent of the team on the injustice meted out to Harbhajan.
Team India is unable to come to terms with the fact that Harbhajan has been deemed guilty on the basis of hearsay, the testimony which Symonds' teammates Michael Clarke and Matthew Hayden, provided to the match referee Mike Procter.
There is a tremendous disquiet among the boys on the manner justice and fair play was given a short shrift by the two umpires as well as the Australian team during the Sydney Test at the SCG which the hosts won by 122 runs on Sunday.
There is no immediate threat to the tour nor any ultimatum has been conveyed to the Board but cricketers have sought their best to convey how strongly they feel about the issue.
They also want the BCCI to take up the issue with utmost seriousness.
The team's departure to Canberra, scheduled by bus at 10.30am has been delayed because apparently they don't want to take any chances with the proper paperwork required to file appeal on behalf of Harbhajan.
"There is a lot of paperwork required and we need to be proper in our appeal hence we are delaying our departure to Sydney," said media manager MV Sridhar.
Indian team is scheduled to play a three-day game against Australian Cricketers Territory (ACT) Invitational Eleven beginning on Thursday.
The team management sources have confirmed that there is no threat to the tour being disrupted at the moment though.
"We will leave for Canberra as soon as we are through with the process (of appeal)," said Sridhar.
