Racial charges against Singh dropped

Sydney: India's spin bowler Harbhajan Singh has been cleared of racial abuse after the charges against him were dropped, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) announced on Tuesday.

BCCI board secretary Niranjan Shah said "The racial abuse charges have been dropped. It is finished. The punishment is only for using obscene language," Shah added.

The BCCI said that the more serious charge of racial abuse had been downgraded to a lesser charge of using abusive language at Tuesday's appeal hearing in Adelaide.

Harbhajan was originally suspended from play for three matches after being found guilty of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during during the second test match against Australia.