By IANS
Jalandhar : Harbhajan Singh’s mother is angry and wondering why his son was handed down a “one-sided” punishment, after the Indian spinner was banned from three Test matches for allegedly hurling racial abuse against Australian cricketer Andrew Symonds. She felt Symonds should be punished too.
“This is unfortunate. This is very annoying that Harbhajan has been singled out for the punishment. If there was an exchange of words on the field, both players were equally responsible. Then why punish him alone. This is unfair. Symonds should be punished also,” Harbhajan’s mother Avtar Kaur said at her home in this Punjuab city.
Relatives and friends of the family gathered at their house Monday after learning that Harbhajan was slapped with a three-match ban by match referee Mike Procter after listening to the Indian and Australian sides for nearly six and a half hours at the end of the second test match at the Sydney cricket ground in Australia.
Harbhajan was involved in an exchange of words with Symonds as India chased Australia’s first innings score.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting later complained to the match referee that Harbhajan indulged in racist slur against Symonds. The Indian bowler denied the charges but Procter made the decision without any documentary proof.
India lost the test match to Australia by 122 runs following some of the worst umpiring witnessed in cricketing history in which most decisions went against India.
Harbhajan’s mother defended her son saying that the bowler must have reacted to sledging from the Australian players.
“If someone says something, then it is natural to get angry and react. He (Harbhajan) is not wrong,” Avtar Kaur said.
“The gentleman’s game has been brought a bad name by the Australian players, the three umpires and the match referee. It is time that the Indian cricket board stands up against this treatment to our national team. They should take a stand,” said cricket enthusiast Iqbal Singh as he watched the frenzy of television reporters and cameramen outside Harbhajan’s home.