RECENT events off the field pertaining to issues from the just-concluded Test series between Australia and India should have raised many eyebrows in the cricketing world.

The decisions made off the field by the International Cricket Council (ICC), the sport's world governing body, that are benefiting India, are contrastingly dissimilar to some umpiring calls that were made on the field by our own Jamaican and West Indian umpiring great, Steve Bucknor, and Englishman Mark Benson, which impacted largely on their second Test defeat.

Appeasing India

And on the face of it, it appears that these decisions were made to appease India, who we know account for more than 70 per cent of international cricket's funds by way of sponsorships and its massive group of supporters.

In the second Test in Sydney in the first week of January, a number of calls went against the Indians, two by Bucknor -judging Andrew Symonds not out for caught behind at 30 with Australia reeling at 130 for six in response to India's 532. Symonds went on to score an unbeaten 162 and guided Australia to 463.

Then, in the second innings, with India batting to save the game and Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly at the crease, Dravid was given out caught behind for 38 at 115 for four, triggering a collapse.

India were eventually bowled out for 210 and went behind 2-0 in the series.

The Indian Cricket Board called for the removal of Bucknor for the series and the ICC acceded to that request, replacing the Jamaican, cricket's most experienced umpire with 121 Tests and a record five World Cup Finals appearances, with New Zealand's Billy Bowden.

In that same Test match, the Australians complained of racist remarks being made to batsman Symonds (called 'monkey') by Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, while he partnered batting great Sachin Tendulkar.

No suspension

Later, Aussie spinner Brad Hogg was charged for making an offensive remark to Anil Kumble and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India's captain and vice-captain respectively.

Besides asking for Bucknor's removal, India threatened to boycott the tour if the charge against Singh was not dropped.

If the charges were allowed to stand, Singh would've got a three-match ban. They only continued when they were assured he would not be barred from playing in the remaining matches of the Test series - which ended on Monday - then face a hearing ahead of the one-day series, which India would still boycott.

The hearing took place in an Australian court yesterday and, you know what, the charge against Singh was downgraded so instead of the suspension, he has been fined US$2,665 (Aus$3,000).

That was not surprising, since the case brought against Hogg had already been thrown out.

Plus, over 90,000 tickets have already been sold for Friday's first ODI between the two.

When the umpiring decisions don't go in India's favour, or if they go against Australia, it will be interesting to see what requests will be forthcoming, and whether the ICC will make a call to sub the umpire.

As reasoned in a conversation with my bona fide brethren, regardless of reasons posted in its defence, Bucknor would not have been removed if the West Indies were still at the top of world cricket.

It should not have happened. Decisions, good or bad, are part of the game.

Symonds admitted knowing he edged the ball. But he stood his ground like many other batsmen as the edge was not picked up by the umpire and they are not called thieves. Some days, they get bad ones too. It's all in the game.

Threaten to pack up

Check Wavell Hinds, the Jamaica and West Indies left-handed batsman who got a bundle of bad decisions that basically ended his Test career on the England tour three or four years ago. I don't remember the Windies calling for the removal of any umpire or threatening to quit the series.

Remember New Zealand in the 1979-80 series when Michael Holding, frustrated at the calls that didn't go the Caribbean team's way, kicked the stumps out of the ground.

And what about the other Test playing countries who are peeved over 'those calls'?

They probably need to do an India - threaten to pack-up and go home.

Wouldn't that raise some real concerns for cricket?