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India spinner Harbhajan Singh faces a charge of racial abuse against Andrew Symonds after a complaint lodged by Australian skipper Ricky Ponting to match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor during Friday's third day.
Procter is to convene a hearing into the allegations after the end of the Sydney Test on Sunday.
Procter said neither of the on-field officials were aware of the heated exchange between Harbhajan and Symonds during Friday's final session.
"The umpires did not hear anything, they did not know anything about it," he told Channel Nine television.
Harbhajan has denied he racially abused Symonds.
"I did not say anything racist. I do not know what is going on," he told Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
"I haven't done anything, we were just talking. It wasn't even sledging, it was just normal talk out on the cricket field. I was concentrating on my batting."
In the wake of the allegations Indian great Sunil Gavaskar accused the Australian side of double standards following Ponting's complaint.
Gavaskar has been a fierce critic of the behaviour of Ponting's men in the past and felt the Australians could dish it out but not take it in return.
"If the umpires have not heard it, then what has happened to the famous Australian saying of 'what happens on the field stays on the field'," Gavaskar said on television.
"In this instance if the umpires have not heard anything why is this line not being used for this particular incident.
"Is it only when the Australians give it to somebody (that) what happens on the field stays on the field but when they get it. Has it got to be reported? Doesn't it stay on the field?"
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor said he feared Ponting had opened a can of worms and potential tit-for-tat citings by rival captains over on-field behaviour.
"I think Ricky has opened up Pandora's box in terms of this," Taylor said.
"The Australians play tough cricket and make the odd chirp, if this goes any further I am sure there will be other times when Ricky Ponting will be on the other side of the ledger when the Australian team make the chirp."
If found guilty Harbhajan could face a ban of two to four Test matches or four to eight ODIs.
Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist accused Pakistan counterpart Rashid Latif of racial abuse during the 2003 World Cup in South Africa, but Latif was cleared because of a lack of evidence.
Australian Darren Lehmann was the first player to be banned for racial abuse, when he was outed for five ODIs over a racial remark in earshot of the Sri Lankan dressing room during the 2002/03 season.
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RatingIt is a matter of shame for Mike Procter to bann the Indian skipper, Harbhajan Singh from three test matches for using racial abuses where none of the umpires hear such words in the field against one another. But later he clamined to have stand in his judgement. All the world wonder judgement without evidence!
No one seems to be talking about the Sydney Test´s result..Now if ICC and the ACB shows some charity they could cancel the Sydney Test Match´s result...If not this will go in to World Cricket´s history as one of the most infamous Test Match...only other example is Oval Test match played between England and Pakistan in 2006. This is not Cricket, and it seems Australian Motto is "Do whatever but pocket a Win"...India would have won this game comfortably.
What can be made out is, the Australians feared that they will either draw or loose the match and Ricky will not be able to equal Steve's record. They tried to play mind games and they succeeded. Istead of coming back to India, play both the games in Perth and Adelaide and win both the games and slap them on their face.
Enough is enough.You say great Bradmans country.
Symonds has a complex about his race, he should not play. He started this during Aussie tour of India and is carrying on where he left. Time the cricket playing world calls his bluff and tells him exactly what he is!
Its time the referees stand firm instead of accepting the captains complaint, which itself is racial when umpires have not complained. It should be thrown out and action should be taken on the complainant (in this case ponting who himself is not honest on field)
Ricky Ponting is clearly misfit to the so-called gentleman's game and it is the Indian players who played a gentlemens' game like it has to be. Agree the batting rsults could have been better but wrong desicions are bound to negatively impact the players and thats what has happened. Remember the Aussie racism knows no bounds and is even worse than UK. They are a bunch of uneducated rascals, who would stoop to any level to mudsling a subcontinent country which for them is full of coloured slaves. In fact it should be monkeys that should have given a complaint to ICC for comparing Symmonds to them. Symmonds is a pig and Ricky is an even uglier pig - full of shit, and ready to eat shit if it meant winning a trophy. Boo to them! Indian players please come back. There is no point being there. ICC is not going to recall the old jokers of umpires. The best thing for a cricket-legacy rich country like India where many of these matches are organised and held is to put these umpires in black list. And next time Aussies come to India lets not spare them. Their melee should start from the airport. Lets do it!
Ponting team is made up of convicts and will do anything to paralyse other team players who are doing well.They are thick skinned and full of aggressive and arogant behaviour and just don't like it when some one retialate. They are bunch of ignorant people and will do anything to demorallise others. These umpires have always done damage to the Indian team and should be removed from top classes matches and it is time India took a tough stand and if required call off future matches. Accusing Harbhajan Singh as a racialist by Ponting is another ploy to keep him out of future games.They were rude when they were playing in India and they got away with it.And it is time India took a firm stand with the ICC that any decision against Harbhajan Singh won't be tolerated. kk
Ricky Ponting is acting like a baby. Harbhajan Singh should give him a pacifier.
Sunil Gavaskar is right. Australians are acting like a bunch of whiners and bullies. Cannot stand anybody standing up to their abuse much less dishing it back. Ponting complained in India that Dhoni walked up to the umpire to complain about his behaviour. Shut UP Ricky cannot stand the pressure quit
One fails to understand why the comments abiout the Aussie layers and nthe International Umpires and the Match Referee cannot be discussed openly by the Idians andn why the Indians suffer insult and humility all the time more from a player who was hunted out by his own coutry for the reason best known to him!He has no right to im;pose his self on the others just because his adoptive country or rather his adotive gteam hold him high esteem!On his own admission hed did noft approve of the Aussie's defeat by the Indian Team in 20x20 of which he was a member and failed to sow off when andn Pointing and Gilcrist envied the rece;ption the Indian Team received in India on thier return.It is such poor mental appraoch of this man clearly depicts what he is made of along with his team mates.
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