New Delhi, April 28
Harbhajan Singh was banned from the rest of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 Championship matches with “100 per cent deduction” in his fees from the third match onwards for assaulting S Sreesanth after the contest between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Mohali last Friday night.
The “big brother-young brother” refrain cut no ice with match referee Faroukh Engineer and IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi as they went solely by the video clipping of the incident, which established beyond any doubt that Harbhajan had hit Sreesanth when the off-spinner was shaking hands with the Kings XI Punjab players, and hence the ban.
“The incident was totally unprovoked”, Modi explained. He said such incidents will not be tolerated as “we are here to protect the spirit of the game and enforce the code of conduct”. Sreesanth was warned not to repeat his on-field antics which he often adopted to rattle his opponents.
Modi said Sreesanth was standing third when Harbhajan, after shaking hands with the first two Punjab team players, hit Sreesanth when his turn
came to shake hands with the stand-in Mumbai team skipper. Modi said Mumbai Indians team manager Lal Chand Rajput, who was standing right behind Harbhajan, did not do anything to restrain the spinner, and therefore, 50 per cent of his fees of the Mohali match would be deducted.
Modi said Harbhajan’s offence was a level 4.2 misconduct according to the ICC (International Cricket Council) code of conduct while Lal Chand Rajput was guilty of a Level 2 offence.
Though Harbhajan expressed his regret and apologised for his misconduct, Modi said it was a very serious offence which deserved the maximum punishment and hence his ban from the remaining matches of
the IPL.
Harbhajan may also face action from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCC), as it was bound to enforce the ICC code of conduct. But Modi said “what the BCCI would do is not known” and today’s decision was that of the IPL alone.
Though Harbhajan and Sreesanth shook hands and embraced each other in the presence of Engineer, Modi and a large continent of media at a chaotic press briefing, the lack of warmth between the players was quite evident.
Harbhajan, speaking in Hindi, said what had happened was a terrible mistake which should not have happened in the first place, as both were India players who would continue to don the Indian colours in future. “Jo bi hua bohuth galath hua”, he said.
He said he got the punishment “for whatever I did” but was grateful to the BCCI for always supporting him, “treating me like a child” and hoped that the BCCI will continue to support him. “Sreesanth is like my brother.We have played together, and we will play together again”, he added.
The hearing by Engineer, which lasted over two hours, was held after Kings XI Punjab manager Neil Maxwell made a written complaint against Harbhajan’s unbecoming behaviour.
But Modi said Harbhajan will have the option of appealing against his ban, and if he does so “a committee will look into the matter”.
Engineer said his decision was based on the evidence presented to him, and the versions narrated by both the players, without being influenced by the track record of Harbhajan, though he admitted that “what actually happened is a lot more serious than you guys think”.
Engineer said he had high regard for Harbhajan the spinner “who is the greatest off-spinner India has produced”, but he stepped out of the line in this case, and has got the punishment he deserved.
Engineer said Sreesanth, “who is a lovely boy”, remained quiet during the hearing when Harbhajan made no
excuse about his action.
Later, speaking to a motely group, Engineer, who was a colourful stumper during his playing days, said he was all for the presence of the cheer girls on the IPL venues and his only “regret” was that such shows were not there
during his playing days.
