NEW DELHI, Jan 12: India will not pull out of their tour of Australia, even if an appeal against off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s ban for alleged racist comments is rejected, media reports quoted India’s cricket chief as saying on Saturday.

The future of the tour had been in doubt after Harbhajan was suspended for three

Tests for racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the second Test, he allegedly called Symonds a ‘monkey’.

“There’s no question of a pullout,” Sharad Pawar, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), told the Hindustan Times.

The BCCI allowed the team to continue with the tour following the granting of an appeal of Harbhajan’s suspension, and the removal of umpire Steve Bucknor for the upcoming third Test in Perth.

But speculation remained that India might halt the tour if Harbhajan’s hearing upholds the ban.

“The series will not be affected,” Pawar told the paper. “We are focussed on fighting Harbhajan’s case, but it all should be within the game.”

Harbhajan is free to play in Perth pending an appeal. A date for the appeal hearing has not been announced by the ICC.—AP