Gambhir

NEW DELHI (AP):

South African judge Albie Sachs will hear the appeal of India opener Gautam Gambhir against his one-match suspension for elbowing Australia bowler Shane Watson.

Sachs, a senior judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa, has been appointed by the International Cricket Council, which said in a statement yesterday that the details of the hearing would be determined in due course.

"The process indicates that the appeal should be heard within seven days of the commissioner being appointed," the statement said. If Sachs has not reached a verdict by Thursday's start of the fourth and final Test in Nagpur, then Gambhir will be available to play.

Match referee Chris Broad found Gambhir guilty of not conducting play "within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws of cricket."

Gambhir pleaded guilty after pushing his elbow into Watson's chest while taking a second run during the 51st over of India's first innings Wednesday on the opening day of the ongoing third Test.

Under ICC regulations, Sachs has "the power to increase, decrease, amend or otherwise substitute his own decision from that made at the previous hearing."