Remembering the 2008 Symonds vs. Bhajji Monkeygate scandal. What are your thoughts and gut feelings about the whole episode ?

[rangeelaraja]

I think one can only speculate on what was actually said by Bhajji to Symonds ( only Bhajji and Symonds know the real truth ...and even that might have varying perceptions because of different accents ..etc )

 

I personally think that no matter what was actually said ( Monkey or..teri maa ki ) ...for Aussies to raise a storm over calling Symonds " monkey" ( if it is true ) was the most ironic thing.

 

Aussies in the past have used some of the most hurtful, abusive and degrading language for opposition teams, the whole cricketing world knows it.

 

Why did our Team Management not bring up Australia's past ? I am sure there is plenty of footage available with OUR broadcasters to expose their fake hurt and hypocrisy.

 

I also felt that Symonds considering his background and lineage tried to be more Aussie than Aussie themselves  ( in verbal and physical aggression ) to " be the part"  and was a rogue instigator many times before that episode.

 

I am glad it "ended his career"  like he tried to complain.  He may have been a phenomenal talent and great athlete. But he was a hypocrite rogue on the field.

 

 

 

Edited November 21, 2021 by rangeelaraja

[sandeep]

The whole mess was a classic example of Aussies trying to eat their cake and have it. 

 

Don't know if Bhajji said it, likely he did.  But context matters, and it matters a lot.  

 

Court of law absolves even murderer if done in self-defense.  

 

This thing is water under the bridge now, no sense in raking it up.

[rangeelaraja]

https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/cricket/story/andrew-symonds-monkeygate-harbhajan-singh-india-vs-australia-sydney-test-2008-1380993-2018-11-02

 

Quote

Andrew Symonds reveals how Monkeygate led to his alcohol abuse and 'downhill slide'

 

 

Quote

Symonds revealed the exact conversation which took place between him and India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on day three of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and how the incident changed his life forever.

"I said, 'Listen here d***head, we're not out here to make friends, you're about to get hurt here'," Symonds told ABS News in a podcast.

"And he [Harbhajan] started going: 'You're nothing but a monkey.' He said it probably two or three times. From that moment on that was my downhill slide."

The scandal led to Harbhajan getting a three-match ban from the International Cricket Council (ICC) following a hearing which consisted of then-Australia captain Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke who testified in Symonds' favour in a hearing after the match.

 

 

 

What an "innocent" little girl Symonds

[rangeelaraja]

7 minutes ago, sandeep said:

The whole mess was a classic example of Aussies trying to eat their cake and have it. 

 

Don't know if Bhajji said it, likely he did.  But context matters, and it matters a lot.  

 

Court of law absolves even murderer if done in self-defense.  

 

This thing is water under the bridge now, no sense in raking it up.

 

 

I think it was a pivotal moment in Indo-Aus player relations. It was us telling them, take your aggression and hypocrisy and shove it up where the sun doesn't shine.

 

I am super proud of Bhajji's conduct against Symonds. 

 

I felt that was the turning point after which India had the ascendency over Aus in verbal ding dongs on the field that are such an inherent part of battles with them.

[goose]

harbhajan probably said it. india felt there were no grounds prove he said it.

[rangeelaraja]

2 minutes ago, goose said:

harbhajan probably said it. india felt there were no grounds prove he said it.

 

 

And so what if he said it ??

 

Is it a stronger abuse than abusing someone's mother ?

 

Aussies being the hypocrites they are wanted to give it a racial spin citing Symonds ancestry etc. etc..

[goose]

8 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

 

 

And so what if he said it ??

 

Is it a stronger abuse than abusing someone's mother ?

 

Aussies being the hypocrites they are wanted to give it a racial spin citing Symonds ancestry etc. etc..

 

yes because calling a black guy a monkey needs racial spin before it hits home

[AuxiliA]

No one knows what happened except Bhaji and Symonds. It was one person's word against another. 

 

That Aussie team was perhaps the most foul mouthed team to ever play the game. They had their own history of dissing out racial abuse. It was highly ironical and hypocritical that they went ballistic over this vague case. 

 

If you ask me, I feel Bhajji in the heat of the moment had a much higher probability of saying "teri Maa ki" compared to monkey. 

I don't think he even knew that 'monkey' was a racial cuss word to throw around. 

[R!TTER]

4 minutes ago, AuxiliA said:

I don't think he even knew that 'monkey' was a racial cuss word to throw around. 

He used the "monkey" word on 2007 Oz tour of India at Mumbai IIRC, good chance he did it in Sydney as well. Though I can't say for sure if he wanted to demean his race or not, monkey is not a racially derogatory term over here as you'd probably know! If he didn't use "teri" at the beginning, very good chance he used monkey instead of "maa ki" but then is the latter actually better or worse 

[Trichromatic]

Bhajji's career should have been over by 2007-08.

 

He contributed more with bat probably after that.