Ponting tells of request to drop Harbhajan complaint

[graphic23]

Ricky Ponting has said he was approached by a senior member of the India touring party during the acrimonious Sydney Test and asked to drop Australia's complaint against Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan was alleged to have racially abused Andrew Symonds during the game and Ponting said that even before Harbhajan's three-Test ban was handed down it was clear the matter would not be straightforward. "On the night after we made our on-field report about Harbhajan, I had a phone conversation with a senior member of the Indian touring party, who asked me straight to drop the complaint," Ponting writes in his Captain's Diary 2008, an extract of which is published in the Weekend Australian. "Why do we need to keep it quiet?" I asked. His reply had nothing to do with Harbhajan's guilt or innocence; this fellow was more concerned with how events were going to transpire and tried to convince me it might not be worth the stress of going ahead with what might well be a prolonged legal process." Ricky Ponting has said he was approached by a senior member of the India touring party during the acrimonious Sydney Test and asked to drop Australia's complaint against Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan was alleged to have racially abused Andrew Symonds during the game and Ponting said that even before Harbhajan's three-Test ban was handed down it was clear the matter would not be straightforward. "On the night after we made our on-field report about Harbhajan, I had a phone conversation with a senior member of the Indian touring party, who asked me straight to drop the complaint," Ponting writes in his Captain's Diary 2008, an extract of which is published in the Weekend Australian. "Why do we need to keep it quiet?" I asked. His reply had nothing to do with Harbhajan's guilt or innocence; this fellow was more concerned with how events were going to transpire and tried to convince me it might not be worth the stress of going ahead with what might well be a prolonged legal process." The conversation happened after play on day four, the evening before Harbhajan was suspended in a late-night hearing with the match referee Mike Procter. As it turned out, the ban was overturned, but only after a bitter period during which India considered whether to go ahead with the rest of the tour. Ponting said there was no chance he was going to back down and withdraw Australia's complaint. "I was determined to see that justice would be done but I knew from the moment I put my mobile back in my pocket that the investigation might not be as straightforward as the authorities hearing the evidence, making the right decision and then we all move on," he wrote. "It would not look good for Indian cricket for one of their senior players to be convicted of racial abuse, and from the time their officials realised we were not going to give ground - which was probably the moment this brief conversation ended - they set out to make sure that did not happen." Ponting also detailed how he was stopped in his tracks when he learnt from Michael Clarke of the alleged racism that occurred on the third day of the Test. Ponting said Clarke shouted: "He's done it again. He just called Symmo a monkey again." Ponting said as soon as the incident occurred he had flashbacks of the ODI in Mumbai last October, when Symonds had informed the team that Harbhajan had called him a monkey. He said the squad had debated in Mumbai whether to do anything about it and Symonds eventually decided to deal with Harbhajan himself. "He walked out of our dressing room, knocked on the Indian team's door, asked to see Harbhajan, confronted him and said flatly, 'Don't do it again'," Ponting wrote. "When Symmo returned to our room, he told us that after he explained how much the insult had affected him, while Harbhajan had not admitted that he said it, he did acknowledge that it was unacceptable, had apologised for any offence, and assured Symmo there'd be no repeat. "The two men shook hands. On that basis, we decided that the right thing to do was exactly what our critics told us we should have done in Sydney: we gave him another chance. We just let it go." Ponting said that in Sydney he was keen to show Symonds that he had the support of his team-mates and captain. He said that even though Sachin Tendulkar, who was batting with Harbhajan at the time, tried to smooth over the incident, once Ponting had mentioned it to the umpire Mark Benson it was no longer up to the players. "Benson went back to his position, while I made a point, as I walked past the two batsmen on my way to the slip cordon, to say to the Indian spinner, 'I hope you haven't said that again'," Ponting wrote. "To which Tendulkar promptly replied, 'Leave it alone. I'll fix this, I'll sort this out.' But it was too late for that. I'd already spoken to the umpire. It was out of my hands." Ponting's recollections came barely a fortnight after Adam Gilchrist reignited debate over the Sydney Test with his autobiography. Gilchrist queried the change in Tendulkar's evidence from the initial hearing to the appeal and told of the disappointment in the Australian camp when Harbhajan's appeal was upheld. The conversation happened after play on day four, the evening before Harbhajan was suspended in a late-night hearing with the match referee Mike Procter. As it turned out, the ban was overturned, but only after a bitter period during which India considered whether to go ahead with the rest of the tour. Ponting said there was no chance he was going to back down and withdraw Australia's complaint. "I was determined to see that justice would be done but I knew from the moment I put my mobile back in my pocket that the investigation might not be as straightforward as the authorities hearing the evidence, making the right decision and then we all move on," he wrote. "It would not look good for Indian cricket for one of their senior players to be convicted of racial abuse, and from the time their officials realised we were not going to give ground - which was probably the moment this brief conversation ended - they set out to make sure that did not happen." Ponting also detailed how he was stopped in his tracks when he learnt from Michael Clarke of the alleged racism that occurred on the third day of the Test. Ponting said Clarke shouted: "He's done it again. He just called Symmo a monkey again." Ponting said as soon as the incident occurred he had flashbacks of the ODI in Mumbai last October, when Symonds had informed the team that Harbhajan had called him a monkey. He said the squad had debated in Mumbai whether to do anything about it and Symonds eventually decided to deal with Harbhajan himself. "He walked out of our dressing room, knocked on the Indian team's door, asked to see Harbhajan, confronted him and said flatly, 'Don't do it again'," Ponting wrote. "When Symmo returned to our room, he told us that after he explained how much the insult had affected him, while Harbhajan had not admitted that he said it, he did acknowledge that it was unacceptable, had apologised for any offence, and assured Symmo there'd be no repeat. "The two men shook hands. On that basis, we decided that the right thing to do was exactly what our critics told us we should have done in Sydney: we gave him another chance. We just let it go." Ponting said that in Sydney he was keen to show Symonds that he had the support of his team-mates and captain. He said that even though Sachin Tendulkar, who was batting with Harbhajan at the time, tried to smooth over the incident, once Ponting had mentioned it to the umpire Mark Benson it was no longer up to the players. "Benson went back to his position, while I made a point, as I walked past the two batsmen on my way to the slip cordon, to say to the Indian spinner, 'I hope you haven't said that again'," Ponting wrote. "To which Tendulkar promptly replied, 'Leave it alone. I'll fix this, I'll sort this out.' But it was too late for that. I'd already spoken to the umpire. It was out of my hands." Ponting's recollections came barely a fortnight after Adam Gilchrist reignited debate over the Sydney Test with his autobiography. Gilchrist queried the change in Tendulkar's evidence from the initial hearing to the appeal and told of the disappointment in the Australian camp when Harbhajan's appeal was upheld.

Is Ponting adding fuel to fire? I somehow think that based on the mentality of the Indian Team that played in Australia, this actually might have been true. I don't for a minute want to call our players cheats or someone who are racist - but I think that it is part of our cricketers' behavior to hide controversies or keep them under the bed. I think someone spoke to Ponting in that point of view rather than think that they tried to save Harbhajan from a sure fire 3-4 Test bans. Oh, and I apologize for the umpteenth article on this issue but it seems a bit strange this coming from Ponting after nearly 10 months, and somehow it seems that he might be right. I hope I am wrong though, and that he's making this up.

[bharat297]

Im pretty sure that senior member was Tendulkar himself ... He seemed to be the main guy sticking up for Harbhajan.But seriously ... the Aussies just cant let this go can they. This all spawned out of nothing. Literally nothing. There was no proof. I just wonder ... had the Lankans claim against Glenn McGrath (calling Sanath a black monkey) been made public at the time, would we have had such a media hoopla? I think the Indians should respond by making up a claim of racial abuse against the Aussies. All they need are 4 players who are willing to accuse someone else (despite no proof) and thats it. Dont worry about lack of stump mic evidence (because that doesnt matter) or the fact that neither of the 2 umpires in the vicinity heard anything. India should do that and then have a lengthy court case. Then, have their own media jump to conclusions and accuse the Australian player in question of racial abuse, and then start claiming the Aussies used their power to get out of trouble. Then India should keep bringing up the case during any future match between India and Australia. After all of this ... the Aussies call us whingers !!! :hysterical:

[Donny]

"the Aussies" ? "us" ? 20 million Aussies call over a billion Indians, whingers ? You are a strange mix, Bharat. :regular_smile: On some issues, you are fair and rational. On others, you just join the pack.

[bharat297]

"the Aussies" ? "us" ? 20 million Aussies call over a billion Indians, whingers ?

I dont see what the population difference has to do with it. Just because Australia is smaller doesnt mean that the Aussies calling the Indians whingers doesnt get tiresome. I am an Australian-Indian ... so living in Australia, I hear practically every day , the Aussie media complain and whinge about the Indian cricket team. Maybe an Australian living in India would have a similar view about the Indian media, but I can only comment based on what I see and read.

You are a strange mix, Bharat. :regular_smile: On some issues, you are fair and rational. On others, you just join the pack.

Well its only opinions here. Its only in contrast to your opinions, which havent been that rational in the past (even by your admission ... remember the walking wicket). Of course, when we agree you're gonna think Im being fair and rational, and when we don't youre gonna think Im crazy. Thats the beauty of an opinion.

[King]

Basically anything that supports the Aussie view is the just one is it? Now then, the ban on Harbhajan was revoked by a Kiwi judge but the Aussie captain crys fowl and that is not considered a whige by the likes of Donny. Harbhajan was not found guilty by a neutral judge and that is not acceptable for the Aussie players They just carry on whinging doesn't matter this episode was dealt with legally. First Gilly and now Ponting reacts as if they were honest men beaten by the system. Similarly when Gambhir or anyone from India is banned/suspended and Indians protest that it becomes a whinge. Great logic this. To me the Aussies are the biggest whingers there is. They want everything to go in their favour as if they are god men. BTW I'm won't be surprised if Ponting is lying here to sell his book, he is that dishonest. Why would anyone mention these events but not mention the name of the senior Indian player? If he did mention the player's name and the player denies it Ponting will be under pressure because not many trust him.

[Rajiv]

How dare you ravi, its different rules for everyone! Cmon mate, you should know that But I find this really funny OK, so here's a huge controversy surrounding MONKEYGATE - everyone is out there and Mr, Bush ( Ponting ) and Co want Harbhajan banned etc, there is a hearing with judge etc So Ponting who I assume wants JUSTICE doesn't open his mouth that time about an Indian senior player calling him BUT now! hmm..either he was bribed or he is stupid nahh...could be lying ?

[Kohum]

Ponting also detailed how he was stopped in his tracks when he learnt from Michael Clarke of the alleged racism that occurred on the third day of the Test. Ponting said Clarke shouted: "He's done it again. He just called Symmo a monkey again."

Interesting bit this. Clarke shouted "symmo a monkey" but ain't punished. :winky:

"He walked out of our dressing room, knocked on the Indian team's door, asked to see Harbhajan, confronted him and said flatly, 'Don't do it again'," Ponting wrote. "When Symmo returned to our room, he told us that after he explained how much the insult had affected him, while Harbhajan had not admitted that he said it, he did acknowledge that it was unacceptable, had apologised for any offence, and assured Symmo there'd be no repeat.

So Ponting "says" that Symmo said that Harbhajan acknowledge it was unacceptable and apologized. But there's no sign to "understand" if there can be a cultural difference. This whole incidence is based on "says" or 4 aussies, who haven't heard an iota of word. Kiwi Judge didn't find a single proof. Captain won't even ascertain the fact before talking to the umps about it. I would have been inclined to think that what he is saying might have an ounce of truth, had it not been these instances on field, where he lied out of his a*r$$E

[Donny]

I dont see what the population difference has to do with it.

Has nothing at all to do with it. When you miss the point, you sure miss it by a long way. It was your exaggeration and generalisation I was referring to.

[veer]

I still believe it is confusion between ''maaa ki '' and ''monkey'' .. its easy to confuse for non-Indian..

[h4te]

andrew symonds

[DomainK]

I still believe it is confusion between ''maaa ki '' and ''monkey'' .. its easy to confuse for non-Indian..

And a very regular word on a hot headed sardar's mouth. They should have accepted Tendulkar's word that it was no monkey business. But how would they carry out the organized attack against Bhajji then.....the one man that Punter fears the most?

[bharat297]

Has nothing at all to do with it. When you miss the point, you sure miss it by a long way. It was your exaggeration and generalisation I was referring to.

Is this one of Donny's floating points? You never seem to have one (or be willing to argue it) but everyone else seems to miss it. :giggle: Would you like to actually explain your point? Or are you just gonna keep saying that Im missing it. You did a similar thing in another thread about Shane Watson where you claimed I missed the point , but then when asked you never explained what your point was. Its another one of Donny's floating points. :p Just out of curiosity ... explain to why I am being irrational (or not being fair) for saying that the Aussies have been whingeing about this for 11 months now despite the fact that they never had a shred of proof against the Indians. Can you honestly tell me that the Australians (cricketers, media and most fans ... not all Australians) have not carried this on way too far despite the fact that their entire case was based on a whole lot of hear-say and veiled accusations directed at Harbhajan? If you can I would certainly like to hear why

[Rajiv]

andrew symonds .

bud!, please NO

[Donny]

Would you like to actually explain your point?

I did. Read my reply.

[bharat297]

Yes I read that ... What about my exaggeration?

[bharat297]

Donny ... I would like to know what your opinion is on the whole Harbhajan matter and the way it was handled. Do you think justice was served? Why or why not? Rather than criticising others opinions (for being to generalised or exaggerated), it makes a much stronger argument if you present your own opinion and are willing to argue it.

[Rajiv]

..can someone even reply, read my post..layman response..redneck Aussies to a sophisticated individual

[Donny]

Althought that's fairly incoherent, Raj, what more can I do than reply to Bharat - as I did in post #8 - with an explanation of the bleeding obvious. He asked me to explain again so I referred him back to that post Why is that so difficult to grasp ?.

[bharat297]

Donny instead of making veiled insults against me ... can you please answer the question I asked you in post #16?

[Donny]

No. Not the slightest bit interested.