Harbhajan cleared of racism charges

[pal]

Technically, that does not prove it. That strongly suggests it, yes. It's rather strange, too, that Harbhajan's voice didn't register anywhere except for when he said "he started it."

If anything, it takes us back to square one, that Symonds thought he was being called monkey, with Harbhajan maintaining that he was using a disparaging remark in his language.

 

[sohum]

I know it's not enough to hold up in court, but I still have no doubt that he said it based on that and his revolving door of excuses.

And in my opinion I think there is still significant doubt, especially given that the nature of the strongest evidence is not conclusive, to deliver a verdict of innocent for Harbhajan.

 

[Insomniac]

When some one irritates you, you just abuse them in whatever language you can (even though they dont know that language). You dont think of wther the other guy knows it or not



This article tells that Harbhajan admitted saying to Symonds "maa ki" (they have censored it with m----).
http://cricket.indiatimes.com/What_did_Harbhajan_tell_Symonds/articleshow/2741216.cms

I've never heard anyone deliver racial, or abusive comments in another language out loud...

I have seen it happen under people's breaths, but this is very pelicular

 

[Hooper]

Indians are going to back Singh.
Australians are going to back Symonds and the Aussies.


I would have thought the audio would have settled this and made all the Indian fans realize that when Hayden (IIRC) told him he called Symonds a monkey - then Singh went on to say "Well he started it" - that means he did do it but is making sure that we know he didn't instigate it. I don't really see how any Indian fan can bail him out of that one, he did say it, but the ICC are pussies who will get bullied by the Indian board to do practically anything.

 

[pal]

And in my opinion I think there is still significant doubt, especially given that the nature of the strongest evidence is not conclusive, to deliver a verdict of innocent for Harbhajan.

That's true and that's what it comes down to. We can deal with hypotheses all day long without talking about anything of substance or we could quit whining about the BCCI being bullies and things like that and move on to more important things, but I don't see it happening anytime soon.

 

[harishankar]

I wonder why some Australian members of this forum cannot avoid decrying Harbhajan Singh.

Let's just get on with it...

Let's not forget that Harbhajan has got punished for using abusive language anyway. It's the racism part that is in question and I think it was right of Cricket Australia to agree to drop those charges when the evidence against him was laughably pathetic.

 

[sohum]

I would have thought the audio would have settled this and made all the Indian fans realize that when Hayden (IIRC) told him he called Symonds a monkey - then Singh went on to say "Well he started it" - that means he did do it but is making sure that we know he didn't instigate it. I don't really see how any Indian fan can bail him out of that one, he did say it, but the ICC are pussies who will get bullied by the Indian board to do practically anything.

I've already stated how it isn't so obvious.

 

[harishankar]

I've already stated how it isn't so obvious.

Spot on. It's the racism charge that was in real doubt and the right thing has been done in my opinion. Harbhajan has been punished for using abusive language which he has admitted.

While Harbhajan was an idiot for getting into a verbal spat with the Australians, being an idiot doesn't mean that he was using racial abuse. I also think that the Australian fielders deliberately provoked Harbhajan Singh knowing well that he was a volatile personality, so Symonds should also have been taken to task - then it would have been justice.

Like I said before, I think Harbhajan's focus should be on cricket and it's obviously not working for him because his bowling form has been pathetic in the series, but that's a secondary issue that needs to be dealt with by the BCCI with players who have a history of volatile behaviour on the field.

 

[punterpupnroy]

When i heard the available audio on Cricinfo. I was quite shocked, i thought it would be obvious that Harbhajan called Symonds a monkey when i heard that. Yes it is not solid evidence but it definitely helps the case.

 

[0601731]

thats the point you cant convict anyone without evidence.

 

[rickyp]

Which is a pathetic excuse considering the fact that the audio evidence practically proves that he said it. He just said 'He started it' not 'No I didn't.'

Once again, anyone who believes the maa ki excuse is either very patriotic or very gullible. You'd want to think of something like that before the appeal, it's obvious that his lawyers thought of it.

There is no doubt in my mind that he said it, maybe there isn't enough evidence to convict him, but the fact that the BCCI re-threatened to abandon the tour if he wasn't found not guilty is absolutely disgraceful.

Spot on.

When I heard this in a news column, "The BCCI are still threatening to cancel the tour IF THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE DECISION" summed it up for me. He was never going to get charged, which is a real shame, because I think up until a court of law, thats as conclusive as it was ever gonna get.

 

[Sman-21]

Yep not enuff evidence to convict him but hooper explained it best

after hayden said u called him a monkey his reply was HE STARTED IT
now if he didnt say it or was misinterpreted he would say NO I DIDNT or HE MISHEARD ME.

I agree symonds definatly would of started it but he didnt insult his family/make racist remarks.
Singh could have replied in many ways an there would have been no trouble but all he could come up with was a low pathetic racist taunt and is extremely lucky he wasnt caught on audio saying it

 

[RickyLegend]

Spot on. It's the racism charge that was in real doubt and the right thing has been done in my opinion. Harbhajan has been punished for using abusive language which he has admitted..

Yeah real big man. Admitting to something that will give him a lessor charge. Why would someone like Symonds make up racial abuse? And how could the comments that followed not show that he said it? The talk here shoulnt be about how he didn't say it, but gee he's lucky to have gotten away with that one. Him and Tendulkar were probably laughing about it afterwards. Sends out a good message to the rest of the world. Indian cricket will do what we want, we've got the money, and will threaten to pull out of games if something doesnt go our way. That my friends is blackmail, like it or not. And that is exactly what the BCCI did.

This says it all from an unamed aussie cricketer.
"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."

The BCCI is killing cricket, shame on them!!

 

[IloveGilly]

He's been fined and that's where it should end. Obviously Australian fans will be angry and Indian fans will still try to defend their team. The line "But he started it" was probably the big give-away and deserved to get his fine. Just hope this will be finished with soon.

 

[iloveireland]

Indians are going to back Singh.
Australians are going to back Symonds and the Aussies.


I would have thought the audio would have settled this and made all the Indian fans realize that when Hayden (IIRC) told him he called Symonds a monkey - then Singh went on to say "Well he started it" - that means he did do it but is making sure that we know he didn't instigate it. I don't really see how any Indian fan can bail him out of that one, he did say it, but the ICC are pussies who will get bullied by the Indian board to do practically anything.

To put it blunt. We should have threatened not to continue if he got off. Then they wouldnt have been pussies and would have given him a longer ban

Spot on.

When I heard this in a news column, "The BCCI are still threatening to cancel the tour IF THEY ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE DECISION" summed it up for me. He was never going to get charged, which is a real shame, because I think up until a court of law, thats as conclusive as it was ever gonna get.

That is a threat the Indian television and the Australians couldnt live with. The ICC would have been sued as in the BBCI. The ICC has no balls.

He's been fined and that's where it should end. Obviously Australian fans will be angry and Indian fans will still try to defend their team. The line "But he started it" was probably the big give-away and deserved to get his fine. Just hope this will be finished with soon.

That means jack to him. Do you know how much they get paid?? Plus how much he could get paid if he played/ plays county?? He is filthy rich. Its like Murali. Even if they ended Muralis career now. He would be very very rich. Same with Harbajan, even if we took all his wages this serious he wouldnt really care.

Bloody Indian Board bluffed and ICC bought it. Screw you BCCI and screw you ICC. Grow some balls