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Sreesanth - Bhajji Controversy


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The BCCI's investigation into Harbhajan Singh's spat on Friday with Sreesanth, his India team-mate, will examine the background of the incident to find out whether the offspinner was instigated in any manner, the Indian board's probe commissioner has told Cricinfo. Sudhir Nanavati, the BCCI's appointee to conduct a "preliminary inquiry", said he would take note of the match referee's report which "says that one of the umpires, Amiesh Saheba, had warned Sreesanth for his behaviour after the dismissal of a rival player in that match". A senior lawyer from Ahmedabad, Nanavati is also vice-president of the Gujarat Cricket Association and chairman of the BCCI's finance committee. However, Nanavati said the Indian Premier League's decision on Monday to ban Harbhajan for the inaugural season and previous records of indiscipline of both players will not be taken into account "to avoid any bias". "I may refer to the procedure adopted by IPL leading up to the verdict, especially the documents and TV footage placed as evidence," he said. "But Monday's decision will not be taken into account and the players' career history, too. I will focus only on this particular case. "The match referee's report says that one of the umpires, Amiesh Saheba, had warned Sreesanth for his behaviour after the dismissal of a rival player in that match," Nanavati said. "So I will view the events during the match leading up to the incident too, to verify whether there has been any instigation of any sort. In such situations, the background is very important." Nanavati said he had the authority to summon any player or official associated with the match over the next two weeks till he submits his report to the BCCI. "I will go through the necessary papers associated with the complaint and call both parties - in this case, Harbhajan Singh [Mumbai Indians] and Sreesanth [Kings XI Punjab]. I can also call other players like the captain of the team [Yuvraj Singh for Kings XI Punjab], those who were in the queue as players of both sides were shaking hands when the incident happened, the match referee [Farokh Engineer] and even the umpires [Amiesh Saheba and Aleem Dar]." Harbhajan was banned by the IPL on Monday after Engineer found the offspinner guilty of slapping Sreesanth after Friday's match in Mohali between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab. Harbhajan was leading the Mumbai franchise in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar Explaining why he would not be influenced by the IPL's ban on Harbhajan, Nanavati said, "As far as IPL is concerned, it is a trust created by the BCCI. The IPL's contracts with players and associated clauses are different from those signed by BCCI with its contracted players. Secondly, the IPL has made no rules of regulations of its own. In this case, they have only followed what the ICC or BCCI could have done in a similar situation. Today's verdict by the IPL was a result of that." "Mine is a fact-finding mission. I will only submit my report to the BCCI's disciplinary committee. I can come to the conclusion that Harbhajan is completely innocent or guilty to the extent found by IPL, or more guilty. But action, if any, will be taken by the BCCI panel." Nanavati will submit his report to the BCCI within the next 15 days, who will refer it to the board's three-man disciplinary panel comprising Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, Shashank Manohar, the BCCI's president-elect and Chirayu Amin, the president of the Gujarat Cricket Association.

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Umpire Amiesh Saheba gives his version of what happened at Mohali http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=15&contentid=20080429200804290209088628c8b8d2b Harbhajan Singh may have got all the stick for slapping Sreesanth in Mohali, but Amiesh Saheba, one of the umpires officiating in the game who knew best what was happening on the field, has now revealed the secret of Sreesanth's behaviour that might have driven Bhajji mad. According to the umpire, Sreesanth abused the Mumbai Indians relentlessly throughout the game and was warned twice by him and the other umpire, Pakistan's Aleem Dar. The umpires also warned Sreesanth's captain, Yuvraj Singh, about the bowler's behaviour, but Sree kept up his string of abuses even after it was clear that Mumbai would not win the game. "Sreesanth was sledging Mumbai's batsmen right from the start. He was over-the-top throughout the match and was acting like a petulant schoolboy. I and my colleague Aleem Dar warned him twice and we warned Yuvraj too," Saheba told this paper. However, Saheba said, Sreesanth continued his tirade even against the lower order batsmen. "It was obvious by then that victory for Punjab Kings XI was a mere formality, but Sreesanth kept at it. Musavir Khote was the last man out for Mumbai, and Sreesanth was the one who got him. He even sledged Khote when he was on his way back to the pavilion. Surely, this would not have escaped the eyes of Mumbai players," Saheba said. Though Saheba would not confirm this, others on the field said Sreesnath kept taunting Bhajji that he had "f****** him in his home state." :haha: Bhajji plays for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. The abuse continued even after the game. Saheba said, "During the post-match handshake between the two teams, we came to know that Sreesanth said something to Harbhajan, who was in a foul mood. What happened next, everybody knows." Interestingly, match referee, former India wicket-keeper Faroukh Engineer whose inquiry into the bust-up resulted in an 11-match ban for Bhajji on Monday, did not call Saheba and Aleem Dar for a hearing. Harbhajan has pleaded guilty to the slapping incident. Saheba however said no amount of provocation could justify what Bhajji had done. "Harbhajan's act was shameful. He was leading his team. Physical assault on the field is unthinkable in cricket," Saheba said. Saheba, though, corroborated the theory that Sreesanth is disliked by his teammates in the national squad. "Yes, he is disliked in the Indian dressing room. He is one of India's main bowlers, and yet, he is not doing anything to get rid of that schoolboy image of his. His colleagues are not too happy with that," he stressed.

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http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?page=article&sectid=15&contentid=20080429200804290209088628c8b8d2b Harbhajan Singh may have got all the stick for slapping Sreesanth in Mohali, but Amiesh Saheba, one of the umpires officiating in the game who knew best what was happening on the field, has now revealed the secret of Sreesanth's behaviour that might have driven Bhajji mad. According to the umpire, Sreesanth abused the Mumbai Indians relentlessly throughout the game and was warned twice by him and the other umpire, Pakistan's Aleem Dar. The umpires also warned Sreesanth's captain, Yuvraj Singh, about the bowler's behaviour, but Sree kept up his string of abuses even after it was clear that Mumbai would not win the game. "Sreesanth was sledging Mumbai's batsmen right from the start. He was over-the-top throughout the match and was acting like a petulant schoolboy. I and my colleague Aleem Dar warned him twice and we warned Yuvraj too," Saheba told this paper. However, Saheba said, Sreesanth continued his tirade even against the lower order batsmen. "It was obvious by then that victory for Punjab Kings XI was a mere formality, but Sreesanth kept at it. Musavir Khote was the last man out for Mumbai, and Sreesanth was the one who got him. He even sledged Khote when he was on his way back to the pavilion. Surely, this would not have escaped the eyes of Mumbai players," Saheba said. Though Saheba would not confirm this, others on the field said Sreesnath kept taunting Bhajji that he had "f****** him in his home state." :haha: Bhajji plays for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy. The abuse continued even after the game. Saheba said, "During the post-match handshake between the two teams, we came to know that Sreesanth said something to Harbhajan, who was in a foul mood. What happened next, everybody knows." Interestingly, match referee, former India wicket-keeper Faroukh Engineer whose inquiry into the bust-up resulted in an 11-match ban for Bhajji on Monday, did not call Saheba and Aleem Dar for a hearing. Harbhajan has pleaded guilty to the slapping incident. Saheba however said no amount of provocation could justify what Bhajji had done. "Harbhajan's act was shameful. He was leading his team. Physical assault on the field is unthinkable in cricket," Saheba said. Saheba, though, corroborated the theory that Sreesanth is disliked by his teammates in the national squad. "Yes, he is disliked in the Indian dressing room. He is one of India's main bowlers, and yet, he is not doing anything to get rid of that schoolboy image of his. His colleagues are not too happy with that," he stressed.
Finished! Gony in :icflove:
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is he allowed to speak to the media ?
I hope he does not get into trouble due to this. Nevertheless, I hope people step forward to provide some details about Sree's endless provocation. I was extremely annoyed at Sree, when he needlessly abused Khote. Being a opening bowler for the country, he has to show some respect to fellow players....especially someone like Khote, who is now on the big stage after toiling in the domestic games and would be looking forward to positive experience with the national players. (ok, you might argue that getting sledged/abused is also part of the experience. With Sree, it's unfortunately OTT) Besides, the U19 WC final came to my mind. Remember how the kids were copying their idols, when it came to bowling actions, body language etc? There is no doubt that these bad antics of SS will be imitated by the youngsters. It's a surprise to see such a bad apple amidst a team of generally well-behaved cricketers like SRT, RD, VVS, AK etc. From the look of it, BCCI will finally reprimand him.
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Maybe someone asked Saheba to speak out against Sree .. Im not saying what he said is not ture
D_D yaar , u must have seen the match live. Didn't u observe Sree talking to the batters after each delivery even though he was hit all around the park.
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It's a surprise to see such a bad apple amidst a team of generally well-behaved cricketers like SRT, RD, VVS, AK etc. From the look of it, BCCI will finally reprimand him.
We laughed and clapped when he did the same against the Aussies, and were glad that he could do something that wimps like SRT, RD, VVS, AK couldn't. This is the price that we have to pay.
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Give SS atleast 50% of the punishment handed out to Bhajji if the sledging and incessant nonsense is true. SS deserves a boot out of most of the IPL matches if this is true. Disgusting idiot this SS, and ofcourse no matter what SS said, Bhajji was totally wrong in indulging in physical attack.

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As if Harbhajan doesn't sledge anyone. Bhajji is a bully of high class and he got bullied by Sreesanth. I don't see much wrong in that. If he can't handle the heat, he shouldn't be in the kitchen. In the same breath if Hayden or Symonds smacked the hell out of Bhajji because he annoyed the Aussies would you guys feel all right? Of course not. Bottom line, it doesn't matter what anyone did but Bhajji man handled another player and that is not acceptable.

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Guest HariSampath

Sreesanth minus his antics/boorish behavior is not worth any attention as a player. He has some pace, and takes wkts occasionally, but in general he is a waste. The trick is when someone behaves likes this and becomes known for "hot temperament", "volatile attitude" etc...it immediately translates as "oh what talent, if only he could temper his attitude"...the talent factor seems to be taken for granted by uninformed news anchors and non cricketing media and superficial followers of the game. Some players know this and play their cards wisely. I have my own doubts as to whether Sreesanth is really temperamental. All this pumping of the hands to "steady and calm" himself seems too much of a show. In fact I remember an interview last year when L Balaji and Sreesanth were speaking to a pressman in the MRF pace foundation last year. Balaji openly called Sreesanth " you are a showman, arent you? " and even refused to take back his statement and the journalist went ahead and printed it. In cricket these days, one needs to be media savvy, newsworthy and do that "extra thing" apart from cricket itself, so that one's worth in terms of value goes up, Sreesanth is just a result of the system that has bred these values.

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