10.3.2008

Cricket Australia has taken objection to Harbhajan Singh's recent outburst, when he labelled the Australian team "arrogant", called Matthew Hayden a "big liar" and said Adam Gilchrist was "not a saint". The remarks, which Harbhajan later denied saying, have been taken up by the Australian board with its Indian counterparts, baggygreen.com reported Sunday.

The Sun-Herald reported that James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, wrote a letter to Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, indicating his displeasure over Harbhajan's conduct. "Enough is enough," Sutherland was quoted by the newspaper. "Despite assurances that you have instructed him not to fuel this issue any more, Harbhajan continues to say whatever he wants. When will it ever end? Could you please deal with your player in regard to these comments?"

Harbhajan was at the centre of controversy during the tour of Australia, with Andrew Symonds alleging the offspinner made racial remarks against him during the Sydney Test, charges that were later dismissed due to lack of sufficient evidence.

Later, with the teams involved in the CB Series, Hayden called Harbhajan a "little obnoxious weed" during a radio show, for which he was quickly reprimanded. Cricket Australia now believes the same standards should be applied by the BCCI with regard to its players.

"We've tried over the summer to get the balance right in the way controversial comment has been managed and we certainly, through our actions with Matthew Hayden, been firm with our own players in terms of where the tipping point is," a Cricket Australia spokesman was quoted as having told the paper."We believe it is possible to make intelligent, thoughtful and even provocative public comments without descending to personal abuse."

Courtesy - The Island