LONDON, Nov 21: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Indian calls for a review of the decision to punish Sachin Tendulkar for ball tampering during the drawn second Test against South Africa.

The sport’s world governing body added Wednesday that it would wait for a written approach from the Indian board before considering its demand for match referee Mike Denness to be replaced for the third and final Test following the controversy.

Indian Cricket Board of Control chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya had said Denness should be stood down after finding Tendulkar guilty of doctoring the ball Tuesday.

Tendulkar, shown on television apparently working on the seam with his fingernail, was given a suspended one-match ban and fined.

Denness also sanctioned five other Indian players, including captain Saurav Ganguly, for bringing the game into disrepute through excessive appealing during the Port Elizabeth game.

But an ICC spokesman said: “On the match referee’s judgement there is no right of appeal.

“The Indian board have been requested to outline their position in writing to the ICC. As and when that arrives we’ll deal with it.”

The Indians have argued that Tendulkar was merely cleaning the ball and was not accused of doctoring it by the match umpires.

Meanwhile, Australia’s captain Steve Waugh backed the ICC over its ruling.

“If he’s (Tendulkar) picked the seam then he’s got to pay the penalty like everyone else,” Waugh told a news conference.

“There shouldn’t be any favours just because of your reputation or the way you play the game. I think it’s been going on too long, the ball tampering, affecting the state of the ball.

“There’s a ball there and there’s a bat and that’s the contest,” Waugh said. “If you alter either of those you shouldn’t be playing. It’s pretty simple I think.

“If someone does something wrong they’re going to get penalised. In the past I think a lot of players were let off. It wasn’t consistent so if that’s what they’re trying to do it’s good for cricket.

“Everyone knows how you are supposed to play, you are not supposed to tamper with the ball, and if they do that they will face the consequences,” Waugh said.—Reuters