Richie Benaud to hear Gibbs' appeal

Former Australia captain Richie Benaud will hear Herschelle Gibbs' appeal against the ban of two Test matches imposed upon him for breaching the ICC's Code of Conduct during his side's first Test against Pakistan at Centurion.

Mr Benaud is Australia's nominee as a Code of Conduct Commissioner and he has accepted the appointment to preside as the Appeals Commissioner for the hearing, which will take place via teleconference.

The date for the appeal is still to be confirmed but it is expected to be held between the second and third Tests of the ongoing series. The second match, in Port Elizabeth, is due to end on 23 January with the final Test in Cape Town set to begin three days later.

The conduct of the hearing is at the discretion of the Appeals Commissioner and he has seven days to hear and determine the case. The decision handed down is final and binding.

Pending resolution of the appeal, Herschelle Gibbs is permitted to play in any match scheduled to commence prior to the announcement of the Appeals Commissioner's decision. That means he is available for the second Test against Pakistan, beginning on Friday 19 January.

Mr Benaud is one of the longest-serving members of the ICC Code of Conduct Commission and is universally respected as a highly knowledgeable and impartial observer of cricket.

He captained Australia in 28 of his 63 Tests, leading the side when it regained The Ashes against England with a 4-0 series win in 1958/59 and, after retiring as a player, he has forged an outstanding career as a broadcaster and journalist.

Gibbs was found guilty of a Level 3 offence, clause 3.3 of the Code which prohibits using "...any language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethic origin."

The charge, laid by ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed, relates to an incident that took place shortly before the lunch interval on Sunday, the fourth day of the match, when Gibbs' comments were overheard through a stump microphone on the ground.

The hearing was conducted by ICC Match Referee Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel after the Test concluded on Monday. Gibbs apologized for the remark but pleaded not guilty to the Level 3 charge.

The full list of ICC Code of Conduct Commissioners can be found here:

Full details of the appeal process can be found within the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Team Officials, which is located here: