Harbhajan hit with ban

Indian spinner hit with 11-game ban for slapping team-mate.

Last updated: 28th April 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Harbhajan hit with ban

Harbhajan: Misses IPL

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Harbhajan Singh is set to miss the rest of the Indian Premier League after being banned for slapping Indian team-mate Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, and wil also miss out on his bumper match fees for the rest of the competition.

The two players clashed at the end of the Mumbai Indians' defeat against Kings XI Punjab on Friday, resulting in the spinner being suspended.

Sreesanth was seen in tears after the clash between the two players at the end of the game, and TV footage was studied and players interviewed in the inquiry.

Mumbai skipper Harbhajan has now been found guilty of the slap on Punjab paceman Sreesanth after a disciplinary inquiry into the incident, and hit with an 11-game ban.

His actions were found to be a level 4.2 offence under the International Cricket Council's code of conduct.

Guilty

Harbhajan pleaded guilty to the offence and expressed his regret over the incident at a 45-minute hearing chaired by match referee Farookh Engineer, but has has also nevertheless been fined all of his match fees for the rest of the tournament.

"As a penalty for the level 4.2 offence committed by Mr Harbhajan Singh, we hereby order that Mr Harbhajan Singh be banned for the rest of the remaining matches of the first IPL event," IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said.

"We also order that Mr Harbhajan Singh be fined 100 per cent of any player fee that may have been paid or may hereafter be paid to him in respect of the remaining matches only.

"That does not take into account any of the two earlier matches (prior to Friday) that he may have played."

To add to his woes, 27-year-old Harbhajan is also now likely to face a separate inquiry from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who have appointed Sudhir Nanavati to head up a preliminary inquiry.

Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput was fined half of his match fee after being found guilty of not doing enough to prevent the incident.

"Rajput did not do enough to stop the incident," added Modi.

"Rajput was right behind Harbhajan when the incident took place. He didn't take any step to restrain him."

Sreesanth, meanwhile, was let off with a warning for his part in the clash.

Harbhajan will now likely miss the rest of the inaugural IPL, and would only return to the tournament should his Mumbai side reach the semi-finals of the Twenty20 event.

Comments (16)

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Ajoy B says...

right punishment for the crime committed. its ridiculous what he has done. the need of the hour is to have a sports psychologist with every team in any sports.

Posted 08:31 29th April 2008

Sachin Vem says...

perhaps he thought he would get away with it this time as well. All the support he got from his team mates and BCCI during the Australian tour has gone to his head.This time indian cricket has had a taste of its own medicine. This incident brings out enough evidence that the Aussies were right. Harbhajan should be banned for life. He had brought shame to the game!

Posted 07:20 29th April 2008

Yogesh Mistry says...

i think the IPL commitee have done the right thing. only thing is he should have been banned for longer. his behaviour was and is unacceptable. no player is above the game and taking into account the spirit of the gentlemans game, he has brought it inot disrepute. this is an indian cricket supporter admitting it. i think the BCCI should take a tougher stance on this and ban him for all international cricket matches for the rest of the year. The thing is that the indian cricket players are being paid an obscene amount of money, and with sponsorships taken into account the money they earn is unbelievable. the team owner mr. mukesh ambani should also ditch harbhajan from the team, and he should be boycotted. the reason for the altercation is that he was annoyed at the team losing, and he could not accept being teased over it by a junior player, but if you look at the matches where he has captained the team, his decisions have been poor and he should be blamed for the dismal performance of the mumbai indian team.

Posted 21:51 28th April 2008

Binoy Jude says...

Excellent Decision!!! He deserves it..I think ICC and all boards including BCCI should have seprate panel to look after this independently.And they should have some professionals to guide youngeters like Shreeshant and others.They should be concentrating in there cricket not trying to scare opposition team with their stares and abuses... :)

Posted 19:55 28th April 2008

Rahul Jain says...

Accepting the fact that it's not a gentleman's game anymore and its become an action-packed game, a crowd puller, especially in India, I like with the agression it is being played, but should not make the opposition a part of their aggression. Well, Bhajji, he is a match-winner, a key player, but here, he shud have given a life-term ban. Slapping a national team-mate is just tooo much. At least not for his respect, he shud have thought about INDIA's pride.

Posted 18:14 28th April 2008

M Minhas says...

you lot don't know what you are talking about....fair enough Harbhajan should be punished for his actions but how do you know Shreesanth wasn't at fault no onw would slap a another person without a reason especially if they play for the same Country........the Australian thing is totally different the Aussie could not take it that they were goin to lose so they had to say something as they could not do alot.

Posted 16:32 28th April 2008

Dave Hadley says...

Harbhajan has got off with this really, lets hope the BCCI take futher action, it was only a matter of time for something like this to happened with Harbhajan as he must feel he is above the rules due to the 'firm' punishment he usually receives lets hope BCCI throw the book at him like PCB did with Shoaib How did Sreesanth get a warning for been slapped anyway?

Posted 14:23 28th April 2008

Saeed Mohammad says...

the decision to punish Harbajan should have taken long befre

Posted 13:52 28th April 2008

Harvinder Bedi says...

I am happy with the decision, no one is bigger then the match itself, no matter how good or important he or she is for the Match and the Country. Its a lession for other such players who may think themselves bigger.

Posted 13:47 28th April 2008

Jon Osborne says...

Good to see that Matthew Hayden was right about him being an obnoxious weed

Posted 13:38 28th April 2008

Alihusein Namajee says...

Serves him right he got away with it in Australia because his Indian team mates supported him and threatened to call of the tour now what action will they take when he slaps his own player in his own country. Just like Pakistan threw Shoib Akhtar out Harbhajan desrves the same treatment. He is a disgrace to to the game of cricket.

Posted 13:31 28th April 2008

Rohit Leitao says...

The IPL have done a right thing. Cmon its professional cricket n its embarassing to be slapped in front of a huge crowd and that too a member of your national cricket team.

Posted 13:00 28th April 2008

Scott M says...

I wonder if all the Indian fans will be blaming the Australian players this time for yet another one of Harbhajan Singh's indiscretions?!

Posted 12:57 28th April 2008

Sharen Sandhu says...

He's a disgrace, and controversy follows him everywhere. The right decision has been made today.

Posted 12:53 28th April 2008

Dean Porter says...

Lets see him use the race card on this one to get him off, The guy is a idiot

Posted 12:45 28th April 2008

Zane Osborne says...

Its been a long time coming. He has been walking a thin line since the Australian tour. Its about time the ICC started cracking down on this kind of behaviour, some players take their competitiveness a bit too far and give the sport a bad image. Young players look up to him as a role model. I think overall sport players are beginning to think they are bigger than the game, glad to see Harbhajan been brought to book. That kind of behaviour is simply UNACCEPTABLE.

Posted 12:34 28th April 2008
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