Harbhajan's appeal [Merged]

[Rajiv]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/FullcoverageStoryPage.aspx?id=9cb9aa27-cfe1-4a50-937b-512882d923beIndiainAustralia_Special&MatchID1=4638&TeamID1=7&TeamID2=9&MatchType1=2&SeriesID1=1169&PrimaryID=4638&IsCricket=true&Headline=Race+slur+off+Bhajji+after+backroom+pact By early Tuesday, as soon as it was learnt that the Indian and Australian players had submitted a joint letter to the appeals commissioner looking into Harbhajan Singh’s appeal against his three-match ban on charges of racism, it was evident that a truce was on the cards. Justice John Hansen was later told that Harbhajan and Symonds had resolved the issue amicably between themselves and that Australia were no longer bringing charges of “racial abuse” against the Indian. “The moment the Australians agreed to write a joint letter, the matter had almost been sorted out even before the hearing started,” a senior BCCI official told HT. Interestingly, sources said there was a major reason behind why the Aussies gave in so late in the day, one that had nothing to do with either being gracious in the aftermath of India withdrawing the charges against Brad Hogg, nor with the BCCI’s financial clout. Apparently, the Australian players had sought detailed legal advice on their position during the Adelaide Test. The lawyer met with the players collectively and told them something the BCCI had been maintaining throughout — in a fair appeals process, conducted by a judge, the racism charge would just not stand. There was just not enough evidence. So the Australian team management — which had also reportedly offered a couple of days ago to reduce the racism charge to one of abuse if Harbhajan made a public apology, rejected by the Indians — decided it would be best to take the legal advice in good spirit and put an end to what was a messy, potentially explosive situation. "What followed thereafter in the courtroom was just routine proceedings. The atmosphere was quite relaxed,” a BCCI source said. It is learnt that during the “routine proceedings”, Harbhajan was asked what exactly he said to Andrew Symonds on day three of the Sydney Test. Pat came the reply from the off-spinner: “Teri maa ki”. Sachin Tendulkar, batting at the other end when the verbal exchange happened, was then asked: “What did you hear?” Tendulkar reportedly said: "I heard him saying teri maa ki.” And then, said sources, was the really funny part. Harbhajan was asked to explain the meaning of the phrase in English. And when he somehow managed to translate it, everyone present "had a laugh". Advocate VR Manohar, who represented Harbhajan through video conference from Mumbai, said that once Harbhajan admitted “to have hurled (non-racial) abuses at Symonds, the level of the Code of Conduct charges was reduced and it was left to Justice Hansen to hand out appropriate punishment for the offence under which he now stood charged”. Indians don’t often cross the ICC’s path Harbhajan Singh became the first Indian cricketer this year to cop a punishment for the offence. S Sreesanth was the lone Indian guilty of breaching the CoC in the last two years. Sreesanth was found guilty of Level 1 breach of Code 1.1 (logo policy) and Level 1 breach of Code C 1 (conduct contrary to the spirit of the game) during the first Test between India and South Africa at Johannesburg in December 2006.

[IndianRenegade]

Indian team never chartered a plane for return: official An Indian cricket team official on Wednesday rubbished reports that they had chartered a plane to fly back home on Tuesday, in case Harbhajan Singh was not exonerated from the racial slur charges. Dismissing the reports, MK Sridhar, team's spokesperson, said after arriving in Melbourne on Wednesday that there was no such plan. India will take on Australia in a Twnety20 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Friday. "I do not know where that came from," he said at Melbourne airport. "There was no thinking like that at all." Referring to Harbhajan's acquittal from the racial abuse charges against Andrew Symonds, Sridhar said that the team was looking forward to the upcoming one-day series against Australia and Sri Lanka. "After what happened yesterday (Tuesday), we're going forward so that the game goes on," he said. The one-day series looked in jeopardy after India had threatened to pull out in the wake of racial abuse charges on Harbhajan during the Sydney Test. Harbhajan was acquitted of the racial abuse charges on Tuesday and was instead found guilty of verbal abuse that would mean deduction of 50 per cent of his match fee.

[Guest HariSampath]

Anyway...the Judge made Sachin say the words " teri maa ki"...and also give its meaning, I am sure this is a first in Sachin's career :-) btw, an interesting legal position : Could Sachin have told the judge " I am afraid I cannot and do not want to repeat anything I believe is a vulgar abuse. I am not required under law to do so, and I also have a personal principle of not saying any volgar abuse words and a right to protect my principle"....wonder whether the Judge would have accepted this statement...

[Pancho]

NO...I said "with all available evidence'...it was clear that Bhajji did not say it . Check Ponting's signed statement

clear that he did not say it ? well.. the stump microphone.. he didnt exactly say "no i didnt say it", instead chose to say "well he started it" what clearevidence do you have the symonds and ponting collaborated together in creating this lie you speak of ? remember it has to be clear, and the fact that harbhajan was found not guilty, does not prove ponting and symonds are liars.

[The Outsider]

clear that he did not say it ? well.. the stump microphone.. he didnt exactly say "no i didnt say it", instead chose to say "well he started it" what clearevidence do you have the symonds and ponting collaborated together in creating this lie you speak of ? remember it has to be clear, and the fact that harbhajan was found not guilty, does not prove ponting and symonds are liars.

Read the entire transcript of the verdict where none of these guys could recall any conversation or word except "Big Monkey" under a bit of a cross examination. A sickening set of players and team trying to frame the opposition on racism charges.

[Pancho]

:haha: gee i bet you read that level headed didnt you ? watch the footage and listen to the stump microphone, doesnt look very planned as if they were trying to lie to frame harbhajan does it ? come on, just accept none of us can take an unbiased position on this. a sickening set of players ? id rather them than a bunch of players who cant win a series or win a world cup.

[The Outsider]

I would rather have a bunch of players who lose every match than frame racism charges against the opposition. Right there, shows the difference in our character.

[Pancho]

no that was evident before when you said you honestly think ponting and symonds purposely framed harbhajan. just shows how incapable you are of maintaining a balnced, unbiased point of view. your character shows you are more intent in blaming others for your series loss, rather than taking responsibility for your teams performance. pretty weak.

[The Outsider]

no that was evident before when you said you honestly think ponting and symonds purposely framed harbhajan. just shows how incapable you are of maintaining a balnced, unbiased point of view. your character shows you are more intent in blaming others for your series loss, rather than taking responsibility for your teams performance. pretty weak.

And your character shows that you cannot think beyond wins and losses in a bloody cricket match when some members of the team you support go gaga about racism with, "Ummmm.......ummmmm......Big Monkey.......ummmm........ummmmmm" as their allegation. None of them right from Symonds to Clarke to Hayden were able to identify anything in what Harbhajan said except "Big Monkey". :hysterical:

[cochise]

Aussie Governor General not very impressed with Australian team:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/cricket-is-graceless-says-governorgeneral/2008/01/30/1201369177594.html

[Pancho]

And your character shows that you cannot think beyond wins and losses in a bloody cricket match when some members of the team you support go gaga about racism with' date=' "Ummmm.......ummmmm......Big Monkey.......ummmm........ummmmmm" as their allegation. None of them right from Symonds to Clarke to Hayden were able to identify anything in what Harbhajan said except "Big Monkey". :hysterical:[/quote'] i cant think beyond wins and losses ? ha ha.. says the guy who cant stop complaining about how the umpires robbed them. it hurts doesnt it ? dry those teary eyes sweetheart, you'll get there one day. im so done discussing this. pull your head out of the sand hey.. in another couple of weeks you will be on the streets burning effigies, complaining about something else.

[The Outsider]

in another couple of weeks you will be on the streets burning effigies, complaining about something else.

Yeah, just like your Governor General above or several Aussie former cricketers and experts of the judge who said, Symonds breached the protocol by provoking Harbhajan or numerous other such people. They are all burning effigies, right?

[Pancho]

nah we dont burn effigies. thats for sooks. governor-general ? :hysterical: most of australia couldnt name him..

[cochise]

He also happened to be a Major General of the Australian Army...so I would not dismiss his opinion. Unless you have no respect for your leading soldiers.

[Pancho]

not when it comes to cricket, no not really. john howard our last PM was a cricket enthusiast. he was filmed bowling and one delivery bounced 3 times before it reached the batsman. also did a couple of guest stints in the box, talking absolute ****. so we told him to stick to politics.

[cochise]

I think that's kind of sad that you don't sit up and pay closer attention to what your military men say. I know Aussies respect them. They are not pollies are they? The GG is not a political position, it is a figurehead appointment given to well respected leaders in the country. You may wish to consider again his opinion. I think he has a good point. Particularly about the youth emulating the teams behaviour.

[Pancho]

relax mate.. just having a laugh. ive stated before parts of the aussies behaviour hasnt sat too well, although i think a lot of the criticism was over the top. what you guys may not know is that a lot of this negativity towards the aussie team is coming from the same people who criticised them for socialising with the english team and lacking the 'killer instinct' in the ashes 05 series. im sure there are a lot of things the youth of today would be better off not seeing, not just from the australian cricket team.

[cochise]

im sure there are a lot of things the youth of today would be better off not seeing, not just from the australian cricket team.

Indeed...but that 'lot of things' would not be their role models probably, now would it?

what you guys may not know is that a lot of this negativity towards the aussie team is coming from the same people who criticised them for socialising with the english team and lacking the 'killer instinct' in the ashes 05 series.

Oh yes? How do you explain the volte face then?

relax mate.. just having a laugh. ive stated before parts of the aussies behaviour hasnt sat too well, although i think a lot of the criticism was over the top.

Couldn't be more relaxed. Good to hear that the behaviour has not gone down all that well. Innate sense of Aussie fairness perhaps?

[Guest HariSampath]

i cant think beyond wins and losses ? ha ha.. says the guy who cant stop complaining about how the umpires robbed them. it hurts doesnt it ? dry those teary eyes sweetheart, you'll get there one day. im so done discussing this. pull your head out of the sand hey.. in another couple of weeks you will be on the streets burning effigies, complaining about something else.

when does your parole end ?

[Guest HariSampath]

not when it comes to cricket, no not really. john howard our last PM was a cricket enthusiast. he was filmed bowling and one delivery bounced 3 times before it reached the batsman. also did a couple of guest stints in the box, talking absolute ****. so we told him to stick to politics.

At least this incident has made the Australian Govt apologise to aborginals :giggle: