Are you then saying that Ricky Ponting is guilty of being a cheat? For when he was asked questions about his integrity, he did say, “How dare you……..to question me”? Or words to that effect.

Point well made Tex. I agree.

– Mohan

“The Australians have been sledging and abusing players with little censure for years, so there will be some sympathy towards Harbhajan for standing up to them. But in a world where racial friction can cause the death and destruction now being seen in Kenya, its use on a sports field is unacceptable, regardless of the provocation.

Almost as disagreeable is the indignation that seems to possess Indian cricket and its millions of supporters every time their team suffers a setback they don’t like – in this case Harbhajan’s ban and the loss of a Test riddled with umpiring errors against both sides.

The subtext, given the Indian board’s objection to Procter, as well as the umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson, is that they are the victims of racism. Mind you, they could find a racist plot in a packet of jelly beans – and nearly did at Trent Bridge last year when someone sprinkled a few at the edge of the pitch.

Racism was also the accusation Pakistan used to whip up fervour against umpire Darrell Hair after the forfeited Oval Test 18 months ago, and it is one Asian countries seem to reach for too often when umpiring decisions or disciplinary matters go against them.

India have been here before, once threatening to cancel the final Test of their 2001-2 tour to South Africa. Then, the match referee was Mike Denness, a former England captain, who had imposed penalties on six Indian players for code-of-conduct breaches, including a one-Test ban on Virender Sehwag for excessive appealing.”

I do think Symonds is genuinely offended by what he sees as comments about his dark skin, due to his West Indian heritage, and possibly could have ignored the remark, but it is racism, and I guarantee if an Australian had caused a person with dark skin (like most Indians for example), a monkey, their reaction would be a lot worse than that from Symonds.

As for whining about Clarke not walking when obviously out, I do recall some Indian players doing the exact same thing in this test match.

Both teams need to pull their heads in and get on with cricket, but to assume it is all the Australians fault is to ignore India’s petulant behaviour, deliberate slow over rate and Harbhajan Singh’s conviction for calling Symonds a monkey. A lot of people say it is the Aussie’s word against the Indians, which is true, but to say Symonds, Ponting, Hayden, and particularly Gilchrist are all colluding to make up a complaint is ridiculous, while on the other hand it is easy to see someone accused not wanting to admit what he has done.

The offended tone exhibited by Harbhajan as though he is a saint who could never possibly do anything like this misses the point that in a tight, hard fought sporting contest, things do get said, even by saints, which they later regret. To assume these things should be ignored by others though is too much.

I think he did call Symonds a monkey, was caught out and probably regretted what he’d said instantly. Whenever someone carries on in the way the Indian team, management and sporting public has, it means players are vindicated in lying about what they have said, because they know they are so revered that they are able to get away with it.

I find in life, whenever someone uses the defence “How dare you………to question me?”
with an injured, offended tone, they have usually committed the offence which they are denying occurred.

Good point on the sledge issue. Why is calling someone a monkey more offensive than abusing one’s mother or sister is beyond me. Time to get Punter and Roy some nappies.

I am not sure why the two umpires did not have a quite chat with the two players and leave it there. Symonds, at no time looked offended –going by TV pictures. I did see hayden come in say a few words and walk off without waiting for a reply—same as what he and McGrath did to Dravid in a cowardly manner , when M Slater claimed a catch at Chennai and Venkat looked on impotently. The match referee did not any action–until after a radio interview in Sydney, ICC BOss intervened and action was taken.

There is also the element of an Aussie MISINTERPRETING what was said in INDIAN English by Bhaji.

A BIG STORM in a CHAI cup ondeed.