Aussie bowler Hogg to face charge

Australia's Brad Hogg has been charged with making an offensive remark to India's Anil Kumble and Mahendra Dhoni as the Sydney Test fallout continues.

India's Harbhajan Singh has appealed against his three-match ban for making a racist comment to Andrew Symonds.

Now Hogg has been charged with an offence which also falls into category three in the players' code of conduct.

If found guilty at the 14 January hearing, he faces a ban of two to four Tests or four to eight one-day games.

The 36-year-old was charged after a complaint by India manager Chetan Chauhan.

Paragraph 3.3 of the ICC's code of conduct refers to players "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, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin".

Hogg's charge is the latest development in the controversy which has followed the second Test.

India have suspended their tour until Harbhajan's appeal is held.

They were furious following the 122-run defeat in Sydney, accusing the hosts of lacking sportsmanship and criticising the umpiring of Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson.

West Indian umpire Bucknor has been replaced for the third Test, which begins on 16 January in Perth, by New Zealander Billy Bowden, although the International Cricket Council insisted the change was not made at India's request.