Harbhajan's appeal [Merged]

[The Outsider]

i do not think they made it up. if they had then hayden and clarke wouldnt have admitted that they they didnt hear a word said by bhajji. words were exchange and we should know better than assume that bhajji is a saint or he was set up.

Huh? Weren't Hayden and Clarke the two witnesses who heard the abuse in the Proctor hearing?

[IndianRenegade]

Hayden seems fishy to me coz of this:

Why would anyone be talking about a witness straight away? Hayden's reaction should have been one of contempt and dismay. Rather he starts saying he is a witness straight away! :eyedance: :eyedance:

[The Outsider]

Just watched the clip again and Clarke is no where in the frame. What a lying scumbag!

[dial_100]

But my point is....Did Bhajji (stupid and useless fellow) used word "Maaki". If he did then I would like to ban him forever. WHY blame aussies for not knowing that it is a Hindi word. I think they were right in taking that for "Monkey". These are very similar words. Especially with Bhajji's little nasal tone. Now why defend a person be it even a real brother who uses M words and B words..... I will hate Bhajji for using such filthy words and defaming India's name. He cant take it in his brain that we have such a reputed team, spotless masters in out team well known for not using bad words. Everyone has tremendous respect for them. Trust me he will never be looked at as a nice person by many. Doesn't matter what is proved. To me he should have been charged with level 3 offense.

[Sachinism]

Australia’s players are reportedly furious with the quashing of Harbhajan Singh’s three Test ban for racial abuse. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the players are dismayed with their employers' date='[b'] Cricket Australia, who allegedly pushed for Harbhajan and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to be appeased, fearing an enormous financial backlash. It’s believed that ESPN, India’s broadcast partner for this Australian tour, could have sued for up to $60 million had the remainder of the summer been called off, which is a situation the BCCI threatened if Harbhajan’s appeal was unsuccessful. A charter plane had apparently been organised by the Indian governing body. The Sydney Morning Herald has also reported the Australian players believed Harbhajan would have his three Test ban downgraded to one match. The Sydney broadsheet quoted an unnamed Australian player: “The thing that pisses us off is that it shows how much power India has. The Aussie guys aren’t going to make it up. The players are frustrated because this shows how much influence India has, because of the wealth they generate. Money talks,” the player told the SMH. It is believed that the five Australian players at the centre of the ‘monkey’ controversy needed to be coerced by Cricket Australia’s lawyer to allow a downgrading of the original grade three racial charge to a grade two ‘general abuse’ charge.

so there he is accusing India of BS'ing anyways who is gonna believe the aussies, the people claim catches for no reason and then come out and say, "they wouldnt make stuff up" aussies really need to look at themselves before speaking of others

But my point is....Did Bhajji (stupid and useless fellow) used word "Maaki". If he did then I would like to ban him forever. WHY blame aussies for not knowing that it is a Hindi word. I think they were right in taking that for "Monkey". These are very similar words. Especially with Bhajji's little nasal tone. Now why defend a person be it even a real brother who uses M words and B words..... I will hate Bhajji for using such filthy words and defaming India's name. He cant take it in his brain that we have such a reputed team, spotless masters in out team well known for not using bad words. Everyone has tremendous respect for them. Trust me he will never be looked at as a nice person by many. Doesn't matter what is proved. To me he should have been charged with level 3 offense.

you dont know the kind of crap aussies give, bhaji did right by standing up and giving it back are we supposed to always be the "nice" ones and approach all situations in a "Gandhi" manner ban him for saying "Maaki" are you crazy?, if that was the case australia probably wouldnt even have a cricket team

[dial_100]

Alright then have guts to prove it on a stump mike and then nail them down. Show the guts there... Why dip your hands in the mud. Yike...... Why bring such a bad word on your tongue that too against some1's mom? Who is arguing on the fact that Aussies Cricket players are worse sports fellows. But why copy bad things? You dont have to agree with me. Its your choice.

[Sachinism]

India didnt want the stump mic transcripts to be used, due to fear on tampering. it just seemed fishy that they had been brought out so late about bhaji swearing at him, well sometimes when you get provoked, you're bound to react. aussies know bhaji will respond, so they were trying to get to him true you dont have to copy things, but with harbhajan, he isnt copying, he is just that type of person, he'll give it

[Guest HariSampath]

But my point is....Did Bhajji (stupid and useless fellow) used word "Maaki". If he did then I would like to ban him forever. WHY blame aussies for not knowing that it is a Hindi word. I think they were right in taking that for "Monkey". These are very similar words. Especially with Bhajji's little nasal tone. Now why defend a person be it even a real brother who uses M words and B words..... I will hate Bhajji for using such filthy words and defaming India's name. He cant take it in his brain that we have such a reputed team, spotless masters in out team well known for not using bad words. Everyone has tremendous respect for them. Trust me he will never be looked at as a nice person by many. Doesn't matter what is proved. To me he should have been charged with level 3 offense.

ALL the evidence, physical and circumstantial point to Bhajji having used the Maaki term, and to my mind, however stupid or abusive, its not racial, which is what Indian mangmt has been saying

[observer1]

just saw the clip. was very impressed with harbhajan's australian accent.

[coffee_rules]

Just watched the clip again and Clarke is no where in the frame. What a lying scumbag!

http://www.cricketnext.com/news/what-transpired-in-the-harbhajan-hearing/29293-13.html Manohar to Hayden: Did you hear Harbhajan call Symonds a big monkey? Hayden: I didn't hear him, but I heard Symonds say "Did you call me a monkey?" So Hayden didn't hear Harbhajan call Symonda a monkey. How can Proctor accept Hayden as a witness? So all of them heard Symonds ask this question.

[guju24]

Australia incensed by Harbhajan reprieve 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. An Indian pull-out would have threatened Sri Lanka's participation in the CB Series as well. Arjuna Ranatunga, the chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket, and other senior board officials told the Sydney Morning Herald earlier that the board was keeping an eye on the developments in the hearing before deciding whether to commit to the tour or not. The issue was resolved late on Tuesday night, when Cricket Australia and the BCCI issued a joint statement, saying Symonds and Harbhajan had "resolved" the issue and that both captains were also "satisfied with the outcome". Australia's unofficial opinion, however, is less placatory. The team maintain that Harbhajan abused Symonds both at Sydney and three months earlier during an ill-tempered one-day series in India. In audio evidence supplied by Channel Nine - and played before the appeals commissioner, Justice John Hansen - Matthew Hayden is heard remonstrating with Harbhajan. "You've got a witness now, champ," says Hayden. "It's racial vilification, mate. It's a **** word and you know it." Harbhajan can be heard protesting that Symonds started the verbals, but the actual word is inaudible on the tapes. "Ultimately, truth has prevailed," said the BCCI vice-president, Rajiv Shukla. "India has always stood against racism. Cricket is the victor in all this." Ranatunga, a former Sri Lankan captain, called for a ban on sledging and hoped the Australians would learn their lessons from this controversy. "Australia have had these issues with some touring sides," Ranatunga told Reuters. "History shows whenever they get it back, they struggle. Sometimes they also need to learn a lesson. I'm a great believer they should stop all shouting in the grounds." © Cricinfo

[Lurker]

Harbhajan Singh's exoneration for his alleged "monkey" comment towards Andrew Symonds has been hailed as a victory for justice in India' date=' but the decision has incensed Australia's cricketers, [b']who believe their board has caved in to overwhelming pressure from the game's financial superpower.

That is a worry not only for Australian cricket but for cricket fans around the world. As an Indian I would be happy if Harbhajan Singh had not made any racist utterances and was "framed" by the Aussie players. At the same time I would also be aghast if Harbhajan Singh had in fact made those comments and managed to get scott free only because of the back door antics of BCCI.

[talksport]

Peter Roebuck has already lambasted BCCI

[talksport]

What price justice after this sorry saga? Peter Roebuck January 30, 2008 INDIA'S performance in chartering a plane to take the players back home in the event of an independent judge finding against them in the Harbhajan Singh case counted amongst the most nakedly aggressive actions taken in the history of a notoriously fractious game. If this is the way the Indian board intends to conduct its affairs hereafter, then God help cricket. It is high time the elders of the game in that proud country stopped playing to the gallery and considered the game's wider interests. India is not some tinpot dictatorship but an international powerhouse, and ought to think and act accordingly. Brinkmanship or not, threatening to take their bat and ball home in the event of a resented verdict being allowed to stand was an abomination. It sets a dreadful precedent. What price justice now? Not that the attempt made by Cricket Australia to broker a compromise had much more to commend it. Ricky Ponting and his players were entitled to take a stand on principle. As it happens, I thought their strategy unwise because they had fanned the flames, Anil Kumble had not been given a chance to intervene and the case was unwinnable. But they were entitled to take a stand and demand a hearing - especially after their disgraceful treatment by the crowd and a local umpire in Mumbai not long ago (not to mention in Kolkata in 2004) last October. The Australian players may have let rage get the better of them but they were within their rights to demand a hearing. Cricket Australia had no business pusillanimously trying to talk them out of it. Racism was the issue, or there was no issue. As was inevitable, Harbhajan's appeal was successful. Simply, there was not enough proof to justify a conviction. It does not matter what anyone thinks may have happened. Court cases are about facts, not opinions, or allegations or interpretations or guesses. Once the microphones and umpires could not back up the charges, the case was doomed. That does not make Harbhajan a hero. It is high time his seniors took him in hand. He has become a hothead with an unpleasant tongue. Far from seeking revenge, the Australians should have treated him with derision. Throughout this episode, they have been driven not by reason but by a rage that ruined a match and imperilled a series. Harbhajan is not worth half as much. Nor is it wise to ignore Australia's reputation as champion sledgers. Everything has a history. All around, it has been a bad business. Over the years, India have often been represented by gentlemen with high principles and a strong sense of sportsmanship. Australia have not been so fortunate. But it seems that power has corrupted. It was intolerable that India's one-day players were sent to Adelaide when they ought to have been practising hard in Melbourne. It was not an implied threat to the justice system. It was a direct challenge to it. India took part in the creation of the legal framework they disregarded. If the Indians had packed their bags, Australia should have refused to appear in India next season. That India took exception to the original findings of the match referee was not surprising. Realising that he was not properly qualified, Mike Procter implored the ICC to appoint someone else to sit at the hearing, but his plea fell on deaf ears. Indeed, the ICC has been notably unhelpful in these last few weeks. It is hard to believe that a legally trained professional could have reached the same decision as the former South African all-rounder. Procter is a cricketing man not versed in the intricacies of evidence and may not understand the difference between a balance of probabilities and reasonable doubt. That does not mean he deserves the venom directed at him by Sunil Gavaskar, also an employee of the ICC. Accordingly, it was appropriate for India to appeal against the original judgment. For the convenience of all parties, and to allow for a cooling-off period, the appeal hearing was delayed. An independent and experienced judge was asked to preside over it. That the judge was a New Zealander should not have troubled anyone. The idea that a Kiwi might be in league with the Aussies will come as a surprise to both parties. In any case, the time to object to the choice of intermediary had long since passed. Judge Hansen duly applied legal principles and convicted Harbhajan of a lesser charge. India's conduct was deplorable. That the Australians have been carrying on like pork chops for years was no excuse. India had every right to stand against them, but not to undermine the rule of law. Posturing has cost them the high ground. Indeed, the time has come to take a closer look at the behaviour of the BCCI, not least its liaison with the thieves and thugs running Zimbabwean cricket. A man is known by the company he keeps. Now the Australians must accept the decision and move on. The allegation could not be substantiated. It's as simple as that. Now both captains must insist that their players conduct themselves appropriately - a responsibility bestowed on them by the laws of the game. Blessed are the peacemakers. WHAT WAS SAID The conversation between Australian players and Harbhajan Singh that was picked up by the Channel Nine stump microphone: Symonds to Harbhajan: "Go and yell at your teammates. You called me a monkey again?" Hayden: "Twice." Hayden approaches Harbhajan, saying: "You've got a witness now, champ. That's the last time." Harbhajan: "No listen, he started it." Hayden: "It doesn't matter, mate. It's racial vilification. It's a **** word and you know it." Clarke then approaches umpire Mark Benson, saying: "It's not the first time. He done it in India and got into strife. That's the second time he's done it." Ponting walks up to Benson and gestures towards umpire Steve Bucknor, saying: "Go and tell him. Go and tell him straight away."

[Ram]

From the transcript, if indeed it is true,

CA legal team to Harbhajan: Did you call him a big monkey or make any racist comment? Harbhajan: No, I did not (firm in his reply). CA legal team: What exactly did you say? Harbhajan: I admit that I abused him and said "Teri Maa Ki..." Justice Hansen: What is the meaning of this slang? Harbhajan: It means "Your mother's ****"

How many here believe that Bhajji told the words " Teri Maa Ki" and not the word "Monkey". Honestly, I dont. It is very strange for someone to abuse another person in a language that the second person person doesnt understand. The whole point of the abuse is lost. Delving a bit deeper, any person would speak in his mother to a person who doesnt understand it, only under extreme provocation and if he is extremely angry. Seeing from the videos, I dont find any evidence of Bhajji being extremely angry or animated, rather, he seems in a retaliatory mood, wanting to give some "goodies" back to Symmonds. Now, would he have done that in Hindi ? Or English ? Make your own judgments. Another revealing aspect of all this is, Symmonds had this to say to Bhajji's counsel,

BCCI councel VR Manohar started with Symonds asking: What did Harbhajan call you? "A big monkey," Symonds replied. "He kept repeating monkey, monkey, big monkey. Manohar: What were the exact words? Symonds: I don't remember.

Now, where does any term, sounding anything close to the word " Big" appear in the phrase " Teri Maa Ki" ? And this obviously suggests to me that Bhajji actually did call Symmonds " Big Monkey" and not " Teri Maa Ki". So, where does this leave us all now ? Did Bhajji really say the word " Big Monkey" Or is Symmonds simply making up the charge to get Bhajji in trouble ? In the mid-pitch video that has the transcripts of the conversation between the players, Symmonds says something along the lines of,

" Go yell at your team-mates....... You just called me a Monkey".

It is quite strange to see an "abused" person, and in this case its Symmonds, actually repeat the abuse term, right in the middle of pitch, knowing that it will be picked by the stump microphones. Now, did he do that to simply make it look as though Bhajji abused him, or was he really offended by the term, we will never know. But what seems to implicate Bhajj is this set of conversation of between him and Hayden. Hayden says,

Hayden : You just got yourself a witness, champ Bhajji : Its the last time....... he started it Hayden : Doesnt matter. Its racial villification mate. Its a sh!t word and you know it Bhajji : * no response*

Now, why would Bhajji fall silent had he really not uttered those words " Big Monkey" ? Besides, I really dont see why 4 of the Australian players would simply cook up charges to get Bhajji into trouble. My assessment of this thing is, Bhajji did say the word " Big Monkey", but has been let off because of lack of evidence, as simple as that.

[coffee_rules]

What price justice after this sorry saga? Ponting walks up to Benson and gestures towards umpire Steve Bucknor, saying: "Go and tell him. Go and tell him straight away."

How come this doesn't offend Benson? There is solid proof now that Ponting has clearly insulted Benson and has spoken to him in an insulting way. How the hell can Ponting be allowed to talk to a umpire like this?

[DesiChap]

Angered about what? Thats Bhajji has been let off due to lack of proof? Obviously those cheats whant their word to be the holy grail.

[Lurker]

How come this doesn't offend Benson? There is solid proof now that Ponting has clearly insulted Benson and has spoken to him in an insulting way. How the hell can Ponting be allowed to talk to a umpire like this?

Yes I thought the same thing but let it not take away the focus from whats the issue here. Mark Benson could be treated like scum for all I care. My, and I suspect most fans, issue here is did Harbhajan uttered what is being alleged or not. And the role of BCCI in the entire scheme of things.

[talksport]

Yes I thought the same thing but let it not take away the focus from whats the issue here. Mark Benson could be treated like scum for all I care. My' date= and I suspect most fans, issue here is did Harbhajan uttered what is being alleged or not. And the role of BCCI in the entire scheme of things.

If anything Ponting words prove Sydney Test is a farce and Harbhajan Singhs issue is a big cover up...

[Lurker]

If anything Ponting words prove Sydney Test is a farce and Harbhajan Singhs issue is a big cover up...

How so?