Date:01/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/01/stories/2008020160792100.htm

Sport

Harbhajan issue continues to make news

Special Correspondent

— Photo: AFP

CAPTAINSPEAK: Mahendra Singh Dhoni says it is time to forget the past and make a fresh beginning.

Melbourne: The Harbhajan case might be closed but the issue continues to make news. Cricket Australia Chief Executive James Sutherland said on Thursday that he was disappointed with ICC’s failure to inform Appeals Commissioner John Hansen with certain earlier breaches of the Code of Conduct by Harbhajan.

The ICC admitted its mistake. “It’s very unfortunate that a human error led to Justice Hansen not having the full history of Harbhajan’s previous Code of Conduct breaches and the ICC accepts responsibility for the mistake,” ICC CEO Malcolm Speed said.

The one Harbhajan offence, which Justice Hansen said could have altered his eventual verdict, pertained to the controversial second Test at Port Elizabeth in 2001. It was a match where Sachin Tendulkar was pulled up by Match Referee Mike Denness for “acting on the cricket ball.” And five other Indian cricketers, including Harbhajan, were strongly disciplined by Denness.

Topic of debate

Harbhajan was fined 75 per cent of his match fee and handed a suspended one Test ban for excessive appealing. The punishments were considered too harsh and there was a furore in India. India’s tour of South Africa came under a threat and the third match was played as an unofficial ‘Test.’ Denness’ verdicts are still a topic of debate in India.

Meanwhile, Australian captain Ricky Ponting focussed on ICC’s act of omission. “The judge made it pretty clear that he was disappointed at the severity or the non-severity of his findings because he was not handed some pretty vital and important information. There is no doubt that there would be a few players in the Australian dressing room who would be disappointed....We all gave our evidence,” said.

The Australian captain expected Cricket Australia to take up the matter seriously with the ICC to ensure against such omissions occurring again. He added it was a learning experience for everyone in such situations.

On Andrew Symonds, Ponting said, “He is a very honest man. This was the second time he had to go through this sort of stuff after the tour of India. He should be able to put the incident behind him and play his best cricket again.” The Australian captain said any attempt to cast doubts over Symonds’ character would be wrong.

He, however, saw the closure of the case as “a great opportunity to move on and enjoy our cricket during the rest of the summer. We have to let this stuff go.”

Emotionally draining

Ponting confessed the weeks after the Sydney incident had been hard and emotionally draining. He maintained that apart from the incident in the second Test, the relationship between the sides had been generally good.

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said it was time to forget the past and make a fresh beginning in the limited overs contests.

He maintained though that cricket could not be played in silence. “There will always be some chit-chat between the players. As long as it is not controversial, it should be all right,” the skipper said.

Like the Indians, the Australians too would have plenty to reflect upon on what transpired in Sydney. Sutherland said he would talk to Symonds and the players as a group about “some of the circumstances and some of the things that are reported in the judgment.”