Harbhajan Singh slams ICC’s decision in ball tampering row

Harbhajan recalled the 2001 South Africa Test where five Indians — Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Shiv Sunder Das and Deep Dasgupta, apart from him, were banned for at least a Test by match referee Mike Denness for various offences.

Harbhajan Singh (above) also referred to the 2008 Sydney Test against Australia, infamously described as Monkey gate, where he was banned for three Tests, for an alleged racial slur against Andrew Symonds. (File Photo)

India spinner Harbhajan Singh, on Sunday, slammed the ICC for letting off Australian opener Cameron Bancroft with only a fine of 75 per cent of his match fee and not a ban, despite his role in the ball tampering scandal, in the third Test against South Africa, in Cape Town.

Harbhajan recalled the 2001 South Africa Test where five Indians — Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Sourav Ganguly, Shiv Sunder Das and Deep Dasgupta, apart from him, were banned for at least a Test by match referee Mike Denness for various offences.

He also referred to the 2008 Sydney Test against Australia, infamously described as Monkey gate, where he was banned for three Tests, for an alleged racial slur against Andrew Symonds.

READ: Ball-tampering: Been there, done that, deep insights!

 

Former England captain Michael Vaughan too was critical of ICC’s decision.

 

Australia captain, Smith was, on Sunday, handed a one-match suspension and fined 100 percent of his match fee, after he owned up to a ball-tampering conspiracy in South Africa.

However, opener Bancroft was fined 75 per cent of his match fee and handed three demerit points, for breaching Level 2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, during the third day’s play.

The incident, that led to the charges being laid, took place during South Africa’s innings, on Saturday afternoon, when Bancroft was seen, on television, holding a foreign object while rubbing the ball, before hiding the yellow object in his pocket, then inside his trousers.