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06-01-2008, 08:28 PM
Harbhajan faces racism charge
A tap on Brett Lee's bottom by Harbhajan Singh was the spark that lit the fuse for an ugly racial abuse furore during the third Test yesterday.
On a tumultuous third day's play at the SCG, umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor last night reported Harbhajan for alleged racial abuse after consulting with angry Australian captain Ricky Ponting after play.
Harbhajan and Symonds had been involved in a heated mid-pitch verbal spat during play which came about after Symonds had questioned Harbhajan over his contact with Lee while running between wickets.
Harbhajan, who made a match-turning half-century, took offence to Symonds' intervention and responded.
The man known as 'the Turbantor' was last night cited under the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct 3.3 and could face a suspension of up to four Tests.
He was reported for: "Using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin."
It was unclear last night what off-spinner Harbhajan had actually said, but he told friends it was just "innocent chit-chat", while batting hero Sachin Tendulkar said it was "about friendship".
Symonds was gagged by Cricket Australia and when contacted last night said he had no comment.
The hearing with match referee Mike Procter is scheduled for after play today.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India was last night calling its lawyers and preparing a strong defence.
Australian team spokesman Philip Pope last night confirmed the report.
"The umpires made the report after consulting with Ricky," he said.
Symonds, who is of Caribbean heritage, was at the centre of a racial storm during Australia's one-day series in India in October.
The Queenslander was twice subjected to monkey chants by Indian crowds in Vadodara and Mumbai, which were initially denied by local authorities.
While Cricket Australia did not lodge a formal complaint with the ICC then, Ponting took a hardline stance on the ugly episodes.
"Racism is unacceptable anywhere in the world. You don't expect it to happen when you step out on the field," he said in October.
Century-maker Sachin Tendulkar was batting with Harbhajan when the spat erupted after tea.
Tendulkar did his best to play down the problem.
A tap on Brett Lee's bottom by Harbhajan Singh was the spark that lit the fuse for an ugly racial abuse furore during the third Test yesterday.
On a tumultuous third day's play at the SCG, umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor last night reported Harbhajan for alleged racial abuse after consulting with angry Australian captain Ricky Ponting after play.
Harbhajan and Symonds had been involved in a heated mid-pitch verbal spat during play which came about after Symonds had questioned Harbhajan over his contact with Lee while running between wickets.
Harbhajan, who made a match-turning half-century, took offence to Symonds' intervention and responded.
The man known as 'the Turbantor' was last night cited under the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct 3.3 and could face a suspension of up to four Tests.
He was reported for: "Using language or gestures that offends, insults, humiliates, intimidates, threatens, disparages or vilifies another person on the basis of that person's race, religion, gender, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin."
It was unclear last night what off-spinner Harbhajan had actually said, but he told friends it was just "innocent chit-chat", while batting hero Sachin Tendulkar said it was "about friendship".
Symonds was gagged by Cricket Australia and when contacted last night said he had no comment.
The hearing with match referee Mike Procter is scheduled for after play today.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India was last night calling its lawyers and preparing a strong defence.
Australian team spokesman Philip Pope last night confirmed the report.
"The umpires made the report after consulting with Ricky," he said.
Symonds, who is of Caribbean heritage, was at the centre of a racial storm during Australia's one-day series in India in October.
The Queenslander was twice subjected to monkey chants by Indian crowds in Vadodara and Mumbai, which were initially denied by local authorities.
While Cricket Australia did not lodge a formal complaint with the ICC then, Ponting took a hardline stance on the ugly episodes.
"Racism is unacceptable anywhere in the world. You don't expect it to happen when you step out on the field," he said in October.
Century-maker Sachin Tendulkar was batting with Harbhajan when the spat erupted after tea.
Tendulkar did his best to play down the problem.