Hogg Charged With Abusing Kumble

Australia's spinner Brad Hogg has been charged with making an offensive remark to Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni during the second Test in Sydney. The complaint has been issued to the match referee Mike Procter by Chetan Chauhan, the Indian team manager.

Hogg, like Harbhajan Singh, has been charged under level three of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct. That is the part of the code that refers to players or team officials "using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin".

The charge comes two days after Harbhajan was found guilty by Procter of racially insulting Andrew Symonds. Harbhajan was also charged under level three and found guilty. The Indian board has now appealed against the three-match ban imposed on him and he can be picked for India's Tests while the appeal is being processed. If Hogg is found guilty he could be banned for two to four Tests or for eight one-day internationals. Procter has set January 14 as the date for the preliminary hearing.