KOLKATA, Nov 20: India’s cricket chief has called for the replacement of match referee Mike Denness or the suspension of bans imposed by him on six players, including Sachin Tendulkar, following a ball-tampering row on Tuesday.

Jagmohan Dalmiya, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told a news conference: “Either Denness should be changed and, if this is not possible, at least decisions made by him should be kept in abeyance.”

The BCCI’s reaction came after Tendulkar was given a suspended one-test ban and fined 75 percent of his match fee for ball tampering by Denness earlier on Tuesday during the second Port Elizabeth test in South Africa.

The ban has caused outrage in India, where Tendulkar is revered.

Dalmiya said the BCCI had lodged a protest with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and that he and BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah had spoken to ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed, who was in Mumbai on Tuesday.

“Speed assured me he is flying back to London today and he will speak to (ICC president) Malcolm Gray and he will give the ICC decision,” he said, adding India would await an ICC response.

Dalmiya said the BCCI had told Speed the board would accept an ICC panel referee from South Africa, or even a respected former Test player from that country.

“If the decisions (on the players) are kept in abeyance, it could be referred to a body of some reasonable and reputed person,” he added.

Dalmiya described the decisions taken by Denness, a former England captain, as “inconsistent”, adding that both the Indian team and the board had been shocked by them.

Dalmiya said he had to persuade the Indian players to play on the final day of the Port Elizabeth game” “They (players) were so disturbed they were not in a mood to play today.”

“I do not know if it is by coincidence or design. The most unfortunate part is it has happened against one team.”—Reuters