I am a cricket fan as many others, including my wife and friends around the globe, are. I was shocked to hear the events that allowed bowler Harbhajan Singh escape charges of racial abuse after it was shown that he did indeed call Australian cricketer Andrew "Roy" Symonds " a big monkey" in a racial attack on the playing field. Am I making this up? Not hardly. Let me quote from the news media today to prove a point.
From The Australian Newspaper Site:
"New Zealand High Court justice and International Cricket Council appeals commissioner John Hansen accepted Sachen Tendulkar's version of events including his view that Harbhajan did not call Symonds a "big monkey".
This was accepted above the versions given by Australian players, which was the major change from the original disciplinary hearing conducted by ICC match referee Mike Procter at the conclusion of the Sydney Tests where the events occurred.
Justice Hansen, however, admitted a serious error in that he was not provided with a full list of Harbhajan's previous offences which may have altered the Indian's penalty.
Justice Hansen also denied he had come under any pressure to deliver a favourable verdict after threats from the Indian Cricket Board to abandon their tour of Australia and flatly dismissed speculation that a deal had been struck between legal counsel for the Australian and Indian players."
"SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Indian cricket board (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have come under attack from sections of the Australian media after India spinner Harbhajan Singh was cleared of racially abusing Andrew Symonds.
Australian newspapers accused the BCCI of using their financial muscle to hold the world game to ransom while criticising the ICC for bowing to their demands.
The Sydney Morning Herald's headline read "Cricket's day of shame" while The Australian proclaimed "Cricket caves in to India's demands." The Sun-Herald's main headline was "India gets its way, Harbhajan charge downgraded, ban overturned."
The Indian cricket board had threatened to cancel the tour unless the ICC dropped the charges but the crisis was averted on Tuesday when Harbhajan won an appeal against the original ruling.
Harbhajan was cleared when the appeal judge agreed to downgrade the charge to the lesser offence of abusing an opponent. He pleaded guilty and was fined half his match fee but the three-match ban was lifted.
The broadsheet Sydney Morning Herald reported that the Indian cricket board had chartered a plane to take their players home if the verdict went against Harbhajan while Cricket Australia persuaded their own players to drop the charges and agree to a lesser offence."
And now this morning the news is that Mr Hansen says that Andrew Symonds and others "misheard" what was said. Had he taken the time to research this case he would have found that, while in Mumbai, Australians were asked (on camera) why " a big monkey was playing with the kangaroos". Have a look at the series titled "I've Gone Bolly" for confirmation of this happening. You, Mr Hansen, in your capacity as an International Cricket Council appeals commissioner "misheard" the cricketing public and those of us who will not stand for racism in any part of this or any other sport. I for one suggest that it would appear that your own usefulness as an unbiased appeals commissioner is in grave doubt.
So what can be done to correct this blight on the sport of cricket? Simple really. I call on ALL Australian fans to simply boycott the remaining one day matches with India and indeed, ANY further cricket match of ANY kind with India until the Indian Cricket Board itself censures this rogue player, and prevents racial slurs of any kind from happening in the game of cricket ever again by it's players.
Racial slurs have NO place in ANY sport and anyone who resorts to such practices needs to learn the lesson that they will not be tolerated by the sporting public who follow and support the game.
So fans, like me, boycott attendance at ANY match that India is participating in until Harbhajan Singh makes a public apology for racially slurring not only the player involved, but the game of cricket itself. Stand up Australia and vote with your feet and lack of support of racism in this, or any other sport.
However, you, the cricket fans of the world, are free to make up your own mind as to what actually happened, as these are, as always, simply
...just my musings...
Mac
