By IANS
Melbourne : Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh could be dropped for India’s upcoming Test series against South Africa as the national cricket board is “losing patience” with him on disciplinary grounds, the local media reported Thursday.
“While delighted Harbhajan has been cleared, it emerged last night the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was losing patience with the off-spinner, who has been booked five times by the International Cricket Council (ICC),” wrote Herald Sun.
“It’s understood Harbhajan is in danger of being dropped for the Test series against South Africa in March as punishment for his poor on-field conduct.”
South Africa are scheduled to play a three-Test series in India starting March 26.
Harbhajan was found not guilty of racially abusing Australian Andrew Symonds during the second Test in Sydney in the first week of January. New Zealand High Court Judge Justice John Hansen in a re-hearing let off the spinner with a 50 percent fine after the Australians failed to provide corroborative evidence in Adelaide Tuesday.
The reprieve, arrived at after players of both sides requested the judge to downgrade the allegation following back room parleys, made the Australians furious.
ICC match referee Mike Procter had banned Harbhajan for three Tests for a Level III offence. But in the absence of collaborating evidence, which would have upheld the penalty, was not available to appeals commissioner Justice Hansen.
“Realising there was no such evidence, [captain Ricky] Ponting, who had the final say, and Symonds reluctantly agreed to back a deal brokered by Cricket Australia (CA) and the BCCI. This deal was meant to ensure India did not abandon its tour but Harbhajan was still handed a ban,” wrote the paper.
“While Ponting was free to make up his own mind, it’s understood CA lawyer Brian Ward threatened to resign at the Adelaide Federal Court if the players didn’t back his stance.”
“Just fix it then,” Ponting is understood to have said when emotions flared.
As Symonds came to terms with the judgment, it’s believed he said: “I can’t believe this is happening. I am telling you the truth. That’s what I always do. I know what I heard. You know I am a team player.”
The paper further said: “Details of Ponting’s secret meetings with lawyers and CA chairman Creagh O’Connor at Adelaide’s Holiday Inn emerged last night as Justice Hansen outlined the reasons behind his light punishment.”
India lost the four-Test series 1-2.