Harbhajan cleared of racism charge
on January 29th, 2008 at 8:12 am
Breaking news……….
THE International Cricket Council has cleared Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh of racial abuse, reports from India say.
Harbhajan was originally suspended for three matches after being found guilty of racially abusing Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds during the second Test at the SCG.
The Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) told Reuters the more serious charge of racial abuse had been downgraded to a lesser charge of using abusive language at today’s appeal hearing.
“The racial abuse charges have been dropped,” BCCI board secretary Niranjan Shah said.
“It is finished. The punishment is only for using obscene language.”
Shah said Harbhajan would be fined 50 per cent of his match fees as punishment for the obscene language charge.
The decision means threats by the BCCI to cancel the rest of the Indian tour of Australia will no longer threaten the one-day international tri-series involving Sri Lanka and the hosts.
ICC appeals commissioner Justice John Hansen, of New Zealand, heard the appeal from Harbhajan and Indian hierarchy against the spinner’s ban for allegedly calling Symonds a “monkey” during the second Test.
Justice Hansen heard about five hours of evidence at the Federal Court in Adelaide from key figures in the controversy including Harbhajan, his teammate Sachin Tendulkar, Symonds and Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
Board of Control for Cricket in India vice-president Lalit Modi today told reporters in New Delhi today that India’s tour would be abandoned if Harbhajan was found guilty.
“If a clean chit is not given to Harbhajan, the Indian board’s decision is to call the team home,” Modi said.
India, who completed a four-Test series yesterday in Adelaide, are due to play a Twenty20 international against Australia in Melbourne on Friday.
Harbhajan was handed a three-Test ban by match referee Mike Procter after being found guilty of racially abusing Symonds during the acrimonious Sydney Test earlier this month.
India, who completed a four-Test series yesterday, are due to play a Twenty20 international against Australia in Melbourne on Friday before starting a one day international tri-series on Sunday that also features Sri Lanka.
The problem of sledging will not be resolved untill the laws regarding sledging are changed sledging in all its forms should be banned from International cricket.
ICC has put to rest the racism allegations against Harbhajan singh after Judge Hansen squared the blame entirely on Andrew Symonds
for sparking the incident. Its really not a surprise as if we look back onto all the major sledging incidents in te history of cricket at least 80% of the incidents involved an Aussie.
The judgement might also land Mike Procter into hot water for incriminating Harbhajan without taking into account any material evidence and just taking the word of Aussie’s on the issue.
ICC should remove Mike Procter permanently from its panel of match refrees.
It’s good that the ODI series is still on after the racism charges have been cleared.
The BCCI must have used it’s influence and money to clear the ban, but I think they have a point. There was clearly no neutral evidence available but still Procter went ahead with the ban. Even the evidence that was available was inconclusive, with only Hayden’s voice being heard in the stump-mike.
And though Bhajji has been cleared of the charges, he should take a long hard look at his performance in the series. Though he could get Ponting, he was not very effective against the other batsmen. India had a genuine chance of winning the Adelaide test had he chipped in with some wickets on the 4th day as India were without RP Singh. Even Sehwag troubled the batsmen much more than him.
India will hope he will put up a better show in the ODIs.
Three years ago I bought BBC’s digitally mastered video called ” Bodyline ” in which there is a scene where Dougals Jardine, the Engalnd capatain went to the Australian dressing room and complained to Bill Woodfull, the Australian captain that somebody called him a bastard. Woodfull turned around and called loudly “which one of you bastard called this bastard a bastard ? ”
The other day I read an article by Allan Border implying that bastard is a compliment in the Australian culture. Whenever some opponent take a vital wicket or an spectacular catch or score a century, they say ” what a lucky bastard. ”
Similarly, Michael Slater, the former Australian opener said in the same newspaper that he would not walk unless the catch went to the second slip !!
And remember Dennis Lillee kicking Javed Miandad, an Icon and a real Legend not ony to Pakistanis but to all the cricket loving fans around the world. Was that skill ?
Similarly, when Ramnaresh Sarawan meted out the same medicine to Glenn McGrath, even the Prime Minister of Australia came out in the cotroversy.
And only a fool or a blind would deny that the Sydney Test was stolen from India !!
And finally. Yes, they are No. 1 due to superior play and partly more so because they cheat and brow-beat the opponents and the umpires in the name of hard play.
Nadeem
The second match which Australia won, do you think they win because of skill or because of umpire, the whole world knows India was a better team in this series.
What racism? That was an Aussie ploy to bring Team India under pressure and their plan back fired.
We bank roll ICC how can they do injustice with us. Aussie’s are going down.
The Aussies have beaten India in India and now at home they are still the champs. This is not the first time that ICC has bend its back in front of the money generating indians, its a shame that after the Indians threatened to quit the tour in case of adverse judgement against Harbhajan ICC downgraded the offence they have set a bad precedence racism and sledging should have no place in cricket.
Wasim :
Its too early to predict Australia’s demise as the world champs, Australia have beaten India in the test series and will comfortably beat them in the ODI series, its true India gave a big fight but the Aussies prevailed in the end. For India to fancy their chances to topple the Aussies will have to beat them in the ODI series, Which is not likely to happen.
The racism charge in the first place was a farce and was brought up by a team who is renowned to use verbal attacks to un nerve their opponents, I am glad that they recieved some of their own medicine. India is progressing not only to unsettle Australia as the champs on the field but their new players might also take the crown from Australia as far as sledging is concerned.