Harbhajan cleared

[jazza93]

Cricket Australia- News Display - Cricket Australia

Harbhajan Singh has been cleared to play in the upcoming triangular one-day series between Australia, Sri Lanka and India, with his racial vilification charge overturned by an ICC Code of Conduct Appeal.

Harbhajan's initial penalty of three Test matches has been quashed, with the off spinner fined 50 per cent of his match fee from the third Test at the SCG when the incident took place for using abusive language.

New Zealand High Court Judge John Hansen ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to prove an offence under rule 3.3 of the Code of Conduct, which relates to racially insulting behaviour, in Harbhajan's verbal attack on Andrew Symonds.

Harbhajan plead guilty to a level 2.8 offence, which relates to abusive language.

Level Two offences draw anything between a 50 per cent fine and a ban of one Test match of two ODIs. Harbhajan's punishment is at the lower end of the scale. Level Three offences, which match referee Mike Proctor initially found the Indian spinner guilty of, carry an automatic ban.

Audio and video evidence was presented at the trial, while a full explanation of Justice Hansen's decision will be made on Wednesday.

The Commonwealth Bank triangular series will also go ahead, with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket and India) pleased with the outcome of the hearing.

"My understanding is, but you'd have to have to confirm with the Indians, that the Indian team is now planning to travel to Melbourne for the Twenty20 match on Friday," CA spokesman Peter Young said.

"All parties will move on with the cricket. The game is the important thing," he said.

[jono]

the ICC are again bowing to the indians...

[Flamethrower]

Pathetic!!!

Maybe Australia should refuse to play against any team that Harbhajan is in.

[slomo]

Cricket Australia- News Display - Cricket Australia
Audio and video evidence was presented at the trial, while a full explanation of Justice Hansen's decision will be made on Wednesday.

cant wait til wednesday, did the stump mic pick up the argument? was the m word actually used?..... if it was he got off lightly, if it wasnt what a load of fuss over nothing, what happens on the field must now surely stay on the field......

[Burgs]

What a farce

[JediKnight]

Allegedly the "M" word was only used by an Aussie fielder claiming that Harbajan had called Symonds a monkey. Maybe they should ban the entire Aussie team for racial vilification of one of their own!!!

[PerthGirl]

I read somewhere that he called Symonds a Maa ki which apparently means "mother f****er in his own language!

[Ecky]

I read somewhere that he called Symonds a Maa ki which apparently means "mother f****er in his own language!

Well that's all right then! You can see how Clownboy, sorry, Symonds, would take offence to being called a monkey but not to being called a maa ki.

Interesting how the Aussies reacted to a bit of sledging when they are apparently the masters at it.

[Burgs]

I think that in reality they were reacting to the precedent been set rather than receiving a bit Ecky.
It is only the supporters tour reports and the really in depth cricket reports that ever tell what the Australians cop from the International crowds, especially on the Sub Continent.
Before the Test the Captains agreed there would be none of it, there was, there was a reaction.

[GIGS20]

Watches Aussie goes Bolly this week (The Mumbai incident)

It was ugly, I can understand why Symonds wants to get any potential ocurrence of this sort of stuff in the news. The problem is, with the reaction of the BCCI, the 'fans' in Mumbai will surely interpret it as a justification of that term, whether or not it was actually used. I can imagine how it will be for Roy next tour!

[Happy]

Well that's all right then! You can see how Clownboy, sorry, Symonds, would take offence to being called a monkey but not to being called a maa ki.

Interesting how the Aussies reacted to a bit of sledging when they are apparently the masters at it.

If you're on the end of some clever sledging you have respect for it .. if someone just calls you a mother****er, that isn't clever!

"What colour was the couch?" is an example of a very clever sledge!

I still think you should be allowed to say what ever you like on the field!

[jazza93]

heres some of the best sledges: Top Cricket Sledges

[jono]

Watches Aussie goes Bolly this week (The Mumbai incident)

It was ugly, I can understand why Symonds wants to get any potential ocurrence of this sort of stuff in the news. The problem is, with the reaction of the BCCI, the 'fans' in Mumbai will surely interpret it as a justification of that term, whether or not it was actually used. I can imagine how it will be for Roy next tour!

no shit aye!
that was just discusting.

[AlcoholicStalker]

According to channel 10 here the judge that heard the appeal yesterday says that Symonds started it.

[oxleymoron]

Watches Aussie goes Bolly this week (The Mumbai incident)

It was ugly, I can understand why Symonds wants to get any potential ocurrence of this sort of stuff in the news. The problem is, with the reaction of the BCCI, the 'fans' in Mumbai will surely interpret it as a justification of that term, whether or not it was actually used. I can imagine how it will be for Roy next tour!

The "so called fans" in Mumbai did actually have a sign in the crowd which said something along the lines of "Symonds don't dare come back to India" (from Mondays episode of An Aussie goes Bolly). As we are scheduled for a test series there in October, we have not heard the last of this and Ponting and Co will be reminded of it when they arrive in India.