Aussie racists slammed by ICC

An extensive report conducted on behalf of the ICC has concluded that the South African team was subjected to racial abuse on their recent tour of Australia, and that it is was premeditated, co-ordinated and calculated.

The independent findings of India's Solicitor General, Goolam Vahanvati, were discussed at the ICC board meeting in Dubai. It confirmed that the racial taunting had taken place as reported by the players. Vahanvati also concluded that it would be wrong to attribute the racial abuse only to South African expatriates or explain it away as being the result of drunken behaviour.

The report added that there is a grave problem in Australia relating to crowd behaviour, particularly with drunken spectators, which needs to be tackled seriously. After noting Vahanvati's conclusions, which included an assessment that Cricket Australia's approach following the incidents had been appropriate, the board appointed a three-man committee to provide recommendations to the next meeting on April 30.

This committee will comprise Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, and the United Cricket Board of South Africa chief executive Gerald Majola.