BCCI hails ICC's decision to remove Bucknor

New Delhi, Jan 8 (UNI) The BCCI today hailed International Cricket Council's (ICC) far reaching decision to replace controversial umpire Steve Bucknor from the third Test.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar also expressed happiness that Harbhajan Singh will be allowed to play in the Perth Test against Australia.

Reacting to ICC's decision to bring in Billy Bowden in place of Steve Bucknor, Pawar admitted that it was a prerogative of the governing body to change match officials but said he was happy that they ''listened to us and sorted out India's grievances.'' Talking to mediapersons here today Pawar said ''We had appealed to the ICC to review the performance of the umpires in the last two matches and take appropriate action. I'm grateful that ICC has taken this decision and removed him.

The Indian Board is quite happy about that.'' The BCCI chief dismissed the view that ICC was forced to take this decision due to the muscle-flexing by the the richest cricket board-BCCI, saying the decision to remove Bucknor was completely an ICC's prerogative.

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