I am shocked!! Who could have possibly seen this coming?? 
http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ausvind/content/current/story/333986.html
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
A friend of mine was telling me about a story going around that bhajji probably said 'teri maa ki' which sounds very much like mon-key. But anyway, good for bhajji.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
Every one who knows BCCI power
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
An friend of mine was telling me about a story going around that bhajji probably said 'teri maa ki' which sounds very much like mon-key. But anyway, good for bhajji.
bhajji told the media tht he said ... "menu ki"
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
There's no denying BCCI is powerfull. Just yesterday I was reading on cricinfo that they had new evidence against him and BCCI said it would be unfair to bring new evidence now. Obviously ICC, BCCI and ACB came to terms among themselves.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
get over the financial aspect of BCCI
powerful or not, you cannot label someone as racist without evidence
he should have never been charged in the 1st place, mike proctor made a joke out of the whole thing, hope ICC takes action against him
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
This seems like monkey business to me.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
ACB should do something instead of just monkeying around.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
bhajji told the media tht he said ... "menu ki"
No player gets 50% of match fee fined by saying "menu ki". Bhajji ne kissi media-walay ko charriya banaya hai. I am pretty sure he said maa ki gaali to Symonds, which Aussies heard as "monkey". Apparently there was a joint statement signed by all players involved (Aussies and Indians) in which they all agreed on the facts (what he said and what they heard). As a result of that Bhajji is found guilty of abusing Symonds. So obviously he agreed that he swore at Symonds and gave him gaali in hindi language. Therefore, racial taunt charge was withdrawn to be replaced by using abusive language. Case closed.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
Good to see Asian team assert themselves. In the past desis would have jumped to apologize to goras from prez level onwards and also offered to roast the player.
Hope PCB can emulate this.
If Aussies start something it is culture and gamesmanship but if desis do it all hell breaks lose
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
Hope PCB can emulate this.
Actually Indian Board is emulating Pakistan board on this. Remember Oval? Pakistan got the gora umpire kicked out (left the kaala alone) and are now trying (rather cheekily I must say) to reverse the decision of the game, it self.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
ACB should do something instead of just monkeying around.
ACB is not monkeying around they have all their eyes set on $1.7 billion IPL.
Re: Bhajjiâs ban lifted
Case closed under circumstances of diplomacy. Shady deals like this are easy to read into, in-between the lines. Following the case since it happened, the only time Harbhajan would have agreed to swore would have been with everyone reaching a joint agreement. The admit part from him would not have taken place had it been a Level 3 offense. ICC directed all the traffic, Hansen seemed like he was informed of coming to this decision before-hand, the hearing was for the sake of giving a final sentence to media and print industry. It was all done and dusted with, more with the stepping of âcricketâs best-run national boardâ.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
This seems like monkey business to me.
Menu Kee business is more like it !
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
Meanwhile in New Zealand, there is an outcry against the NZ board trying to appease BCCI by dropping Shane Bond (for playing in the ICL).
Seems like other boards are falling in line with the BCCI's "You are either with us, or you are against us" diktat .
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
From Cricinfo:
*In a front-page article in Wednesday's Sydney Morning Herald, an unnamed Australian cricketer has hit out at the decision, which was only reached after Cricket Australia persuaded their five players at the hearing to downgrade their charge against Harbhajan from racism to abusive language. Instead of being banned for three Tests as per the original verdict, he was fined 50% of his match fee. *
*"The thing that pisses us off is that it shows how much power India has," the anonymous contracted player told the paper. "The Aussie guys aren't going to make it [the accusation] up. The players are frustrated because this shows how much influence India has, because of the wealth they generate. Money talks." *
**In what the paper described as a "brazen act of provocation", the Indian board chartered a plane to whisk their one-day squad from Melbourne - the venue for Friday's Twenty20 fixture - to Adelaide, so that they could fly home to India if the charges against Harbhajan were not dropped. The move was described by MV Sridhar, the team's assistant manager, as a "show of solidarity".* *
Friday's match alone - the curtain-raiser for the lucrative CB Series - is expected to attract a crowd in excess of 90,000, and Cricket Australia, fearing the loss of millions of dollars in TV rights, sponsorship and gate takings, opted not to call India's bluff. It was also believed to be under pressure from broadcasters who could have sued had the series been abandoned.
Re: Bhajjiâs ban lifted
$60-million catch made Aussies dilute Bhajji case
IANS
Sydney: A fear of losing $60 million if India terminated the tour midway made the Australian cricket board force the reluctant Australian players to dilute the charge of racial abuse against Harbhajan Singh, local media reported on Tuesday.
Cricket Australia (CA), which took legal advice, told its players that if the television rights holder and sponsors sued CA successfully, it could take 10 years to recoup the losses, the daily Sydney Morning Herald said.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed Australian player involved in Tuesdayâs re-hearing as saying that the CA backtracked because of the money power enjoyed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/60million-catch-made-aussies-dilute-bhajji-case/57651-5.html
Sri Lanka may have quit one-day series too
Alex Brown
January 30, 2008
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AUSTRALIA were in danger of losing not one but two opponents play in this summerâs tri-series, with leading Sri Lankan officials yesterday refusing to commit to the tour pending the result of the Harbhajan Singh racism hearing.
Before the charge against the Indian spinner was downgraded yesterday evening, Sri Lanka Cricket chairman Arjuna Ranatunga told the Herald his board would âwait to see what happensâ before making a decision on whether to fulfil its touring commitments in Australia. "We have not made any decision. We will wait to see the outcome [of the Harbhajan case] and we will go from there.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
^ the whole thing is that ke bhaiya sabse bada rupaiya
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
Lets not get carried away with all the money angle. Yes, there were huge dollars involved. Yes, if it was not BCCI on one end, this whole thing may have ended with one player banned for 3 tests. And yes, Aussies are also susceptible to money pressure... but lets not forget that the whole issue started with very flimsy (almost non-existent) evidence and was basically a he-said-he-said, where Mike Proctor should not have initially ruled any racial abuse, to begin with. It was stupid, a waste of time, and distracted from an otherwise great cricket series. It also distracted from the utterly poor umpiring in the fabulous Sydney test.
Re: Bhajji's ban lifted
a truly sad day in my view. a guilty indian walking free because BCCI strong armed the ICC.