Peter Roebuck’s article, “what price justice?” highlights some important points on the attitude of the BCCI with regard to this hearing. I couldn’t help agreeing with some of his views and thought it deemed fit.

The BCCI and the Indian team, fans felt that the earlier hearing was unfair and a farce and that was fair enough because there were too many hollow areas and practices which were unacceptable. However, like very other nation, there was a right to appeal and considering the outrage and the seriousness of the counter-allegation, the appeal hearing was delayed and an independent judge from New Zealand was brought in. This seemed fair to delay the hearing as the rounds were it was a move to stop him from playing the subsequent tests, which also could not be ignored at that point. To bring in a proper independent judge from the legal scene also ruled out the possibility of a biased or malicious intended judgment as found in the first hearing.

The BCCI made a highly deplorable move to bring in a chartered flight to move the team and let out a statement which basically meant if the decision doesn’t go their way, it will pull out. What is pathetic in this is that they moved the rest of the team and brought in this plane before the hearing began. When the hearing involves a judge and overall becomes in the style of a proper courtroom case, there was no need for the BCCI to behave like pompous pigs. There was no case against Harbhajan for them to react in this manner on the second hearing and especially before the outcome of the hearing, when all facts considered were not know to either parties. There was no need for the BCCI to destroy the legal framework in such a manner.

Unfortunately, this act shows the BCCI in deplorable light and rightly so. If they had reined in their testosterones on this act, such a large damage to Indian cricket would not have happened and this in turn has strongly polarized the cricketing world and has made heroes of complete imbeciles.

Some unknown Aussie player has expressed his disgust on Harbhajan being let off as a money-power game. I also do think that this unknown Aussie player was a fool and is as irresponsible and pig-headed in his beliefs that he was guilty, no different from the attitude of the BCCI.

I would also like to point out media propaganda with respect to the transcript. The Australian media chooses to edit, publish some things for their needs and the Indian media edits, publishes for their needs… a severe and dangerous media propaganda is unleashed.

The Australian media version:

Symonds walks up to Harbhajan at the end of an over.Symonds: “Go and yell at your teammates …. You called me monkey again.”

Matthew Hayden: “Twice. You’ve got a witness now champ.”

Hayden approaches Harbhajan.

Hayden: “That’s the last time.”

Harbhajan: “No listen he started it.”

Hayden: “Doesn’t matter mate, it’s racial vilification mate. It’s a shit word and you know it.”

Soon after, Michael Clarke approaches umpire Mark Benson.

Clarke: “It’s not the first time. He done it in India and got into strife. That’s the second time he’s done it.”

Captain Ricky Ponting walks up to Benson and gestures towards fellow umpire Steve Bucknor.

Ponting: “Go and tell him. Go and tell him straight away.”

The Indian media version:

NDTV has a copy of exactly what the stump mike picked up. Here is the conversation between Bhajji, Symonds, Hayden, Clark and Ricky Ponting.

Symonds: We don’t need it, do it to your teammates (on Harbhajan patting Brett Lee on his back with his bat)

Harbhajan: Audio inaudible

Symonds: Don’t yell, go and yell at your teammates

Harbhajan: Audio inaudible

Symonds: (First part inaudible) what monkey, big monkey, you don’t know what you’ve said.

Hayden: You know this is a S*** word, this is racial vilification. This is the second time you’re doing this

Hayden: You don’t know what you have done.

Harbhajan: Audio inaudible

(Audio inaudible when Sachin tries to calm things down)

Ponting to Harbhajan: (First part inaudible) You have had it, you’ve had it, mate!

Harbhajan to Ponting: He started it, not me.

(Audio inaudible when Ponting goes to Bucknor)

(Audio inaudible when Benson is talking to Harbhajan. Lip movement suggests Benson saying, “Did you say it?”)

Harbhajan: (Audio inaudible but lip movement suggests) “No, no, I didn’t say that, I didn’t say anything.”

So there you have it. Reading two different sources of the transcript offers so many contradictions in media propaganda… the Aus media ignores the inaudible parts, completes many sentences when there were inaudible breaks and therefore doesn’t seem fit to construct it to proper clear sentences and also ignores, twists the initial starting exchange of the conflict. The Indian media on the other hands emphasizes on the inaudible audios with regard to Harbhajan’s many exchanges and puts ‘lip-syncing’ to hold their case. Anybody who tends to look at this issue from either versions of this transcript will come to different viewpoints naturally… one clearly without doubt and one with doubt. This is propaganda at its best fueling the fire.

To end this, I welcome Peter’s view that Harbhajan has to be reined in. He cannot be an immature hot head and all of these is not good for the game. At the same time, I would also like to add that we cannot ignore Symonds taking a dig out of absolutely nothing, or any other Aussie player for the matter involved in various digs. Unfortunately what is happening is one part of the world keeps repeatedly seeing mistakes, bad behaviour from their sides being pulled up (rightly) but at the same time similar incidents being ignored (wrong) and left alone for the other half. So somehow due to this, the need has arised to protect bad behaviour of their half on the view that if it was done by another team, they will get away so why should we admit and back down and stuff like that. In short… what is happening in world cricket is two wrongs make a right. Nobody is able to understand each other as there is filth on each one’s side but the need to complain only on the filth at the other end remains a strong human trait… a human googly perhaps!

Peace!