South African players were subjected to racial abuse during their tour of Australia and it did not come only from South African expatriates, according to an official ICC report.

India's solicitor general Goolam Vahanvati was appointed by the ICC to conduct an inquiry following a complaint from the United Cricket Board of South Africa after the tour, which took place from December through February.

"I find that racial abuse of South African players has taken place during their tour of Australia," ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed quoted the report as saying during a news conference.

"Herschelle Gibbs, Shaun Pollock, Andre Nel and Boeta Dippenaar were all subjected to racial abuse in different places.

"It would be wrong to attribute racial abuse only to South African expatriates living in Australia. It was premeditated, coordinated and calculated to get after the players. It is a serious matter.

"It is the first complaint made by a cricketing nation and it must be taken very seriously."

The ICC Board has appointed a three-man committee - comprising Speed, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland and South African chief Gerald Majola - to discuss the report further.

"The chief executives of the Australia and South Africa boards and I will come back with recommendations for a change, if any, to the ICC anti-racism policy during the April 30 meeting," Speed said.

Cricket Australia called in January for spectators to face life bans and heavy fines if they racially abused players after a number of incidents on the South African tour.

Australia are currently touring South Africa.

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