The Indian cricket board appears to be heading for a confrontation with ICC over the one-Test ban on Gautam Gambhir. While the BCCI has rejected the decision of the appeals commissioner, Justice Albie Sachs, to uphold the ban, and issued a strongly worded protest, the ICC has said the “matter is closed”.
“The ICC Code of Conduct is a robust and independent process designed to achieve a fair and proper outcome,” Haroon Lorgat, the ICC’s chief executive, said. “Although we have received an objection letter from the BCCI, there is nothing more that we can do as the Appeal Commissioner’s decision is a final and binding decision.”
The Indian board, in a statement, said the order “seems to have been pre-decided” as it had been passed without affording the player an opportunity of personal hearing and legal representation, without acceding to his request for certain documents/recordings to be given to him and also denying him an extension of time.
SOURCE: Cricinfo - Gambhir’s appeal against ban rejected
I guess everyone including BCCI expected that Gambhir will eventually get that 1 match ban even after his appeal. What they didn’t expect was that Gambhir won’t get a chance for a personal hearing, which means he would have to miss the last test.
Usually its a standard practice of teams/boards to appeal against the match referee’s ruling to allow their players to complete the ongoing series while ICC scheduling a date for personal heardiing which is usually 1 week or 2 after the appeal.