Kirshnakale ji. Seeing the heated debate between harbhajan and symonds in the field and somersaults of harbhajan like a chimp after taking the wicket of ricky ponting clearly says whatever he said clearly meant it. Harbhajan is the only player in the team who is most likely to commit this sin. Players like Dravid , sachin, kumble are very decent but as far as harbhajan is concerned i am sure he must have said something to upset australian.
something was cooking behind the curtain and it was almost certain that his charge would have been dropped. Everything seemed so scripted.
Offspinner's three-Test ban lifted
Australia incensed by Harbhajan reprieve
Cricinfo staff
January 29, 2008
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The stony faces of Australia's cricketers tell a story, as Harbhajan Singh's racism charge is dropped
© Getty Images
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Harbhajan Singh's
exoneration for his alleged "monkey" comment towards Andrew Symonds
has been hailed as a victory for justice in India, but the decision has
incensed Australia's cricketers, who believe their board has caved in
to overwhelming pressure from the game's financial superpower.
In a front-page article in Wednesday's Sydney Morning Herald,
an unnamed Australian cricketer has hit out at the decision, which was
only reached after Cricket Australia persuaded their five players at
the hearing to downgrade their charge against Harbhajan from racism to
abusive language. Instead of being banned for three Tests as per the
original verdict, he was fined 50% of his match fee.
"The thing that pisses us off is that it
shows how much power India has," the anonymous contracted player told
the paper. "The Aussie guys aren't going to make it [the accusation]
up. The players are frustrated because this shows how much influence
India has, because of the wealth they generate. Money talks."
In what the paper described as a "brazen act
of provocation", the Indian board chartered a plane to whisk their
one-day squad from Melbourne - the venue for Friday's Twenty20 fixture
- to Adelaide, so that they could fly home to India if the charges
against Harbhajan were not dropped. The move was described by MV
Sridhar, the team's assistant manager, as a "show of solidarity".
Friday's match alone - the curtain-raiser for
the lucrative CB Series - is expected to attract a crowd in excess of
90,000, and Cricket Australia, fearing the loss of millions of dollars
in TV rights, sponsorship and gate takings, opted not to call India's
bluff. It was also believed to be under pressure from broadcasters who
could have sued had the series been abandoned.
Last edited: 29-Jan-08 03:03 PM
Last edited: 29-Jan-08 03:04 PM