South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs [Images] has appealed against a two-Test ban imposed on him by the International Cricket Council for making racist remarks during the first cricket Test against Pakistan.

Gibbs has informed Cricket South Africa about his appeal and they have decided to postpone their own hearing into the incident.

"As the ICC findings and suspension have a bearing on CSA's disciplinary matter, I have postponed the hearing until after Herschelle Gibbs's appeal proceedings have been completed by the ICC," Judge Mervyn King, who will chair the CSA Disciplinary Committee, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old player was banned for two Tests for violating the ICC's players' Code of Conduct after he was caught on the stump microphone saying Pakistani supporters were behaving "like bloody animals" and something should be done about the "....... Pakistanis" on the fourth day of the match at Centurion on Sunday.

He was found guilty of a Level 3 offence under the ICC Code of Conduct which prohibits using "any language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin."

The ICC hearing came after the charges were laid down by its Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed and was besides CSA's own inquiry.

If found guilty under the Rules and Code of Conduct of Cricket South Africa, Gibbs would have breached the board's clauses on abuse "on the basis of race, religion, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin" and on "unbecoming conduct which brings the board or the game into disrepute".

Gerald Majola, the Chief Executive of CSA, said the board's charges against Gibbs were laid before those of the ICC.

"As Judge King has pointed out, the ICC procedures have a bearing on our own hearing and so no further statements will be forthcoming from CSA on this matter until after the ICC and our own disciplinary procedures have been completed," he said.