'Insane' Hayden will get a fight, says player
Jamie Pandaram
February 28, 2008
Hayden in hot water for "little obnoxious weed" sledge
AN Indian player has labelled Matthew Hayden "insane" and vowed to give him "the fight" the visitors believe he is asking for after the Australian opener berated spinner Harbhajan Singh on Tuesday and was reprimanded for his outburst yesterday.
Hayden called Harbhajan "an obnoxious weed" on radio and it didn't take long for the Indians to hit back. "If he's said this, he's gone crazy," an unnamed Indian player told the Hindustan Times.
"It's not strategy, it's insane and asking for a fight. And if he wants that, we'll give it to him."
The player also criticised Hayden for his on-field sledging, for which the Indians believe he should be penalised. "He will not stop making sarcastic or plain rude remarks, whether he is fielding or batting. It is very difficult to not get upset and we don't see why he is allowed to get away with his constant barbs."
Last night, Cricket Australia's code of behaviour commissioner, Ron Beazley, upheld a charge that Hayden had breached the code of conduct with his comment about Harbhajan. Hayden was reprimanded.
Following the verdict, Hayden read a brief statement outside CA headquarters in Melbourne.
"I maintain my innocence, my intentions were never to denigrate cricket or anyone," he said. "But in the spirit of cricket I respect and accept the decision."
The opening batsman was charged under Rule 9 of the CA code, which prohibits detrimental public comment and public denigration of other players against whom they have played or will play.
Harbhajan fired back late yesterday, telling the Hindustan Times: "Maybe, they realise that they no longer are the undisputed champions of the world. Maybe, they feel the crown is slipping. Otherwise, why a cricket veteran would ask a 19-year-old [Ishant Sharma] to join him in a ring? I don't want it to be a slanging match. But you only need to speak to international cricketers and international teams to know in what opinion they hold Hayden."
The Hayden incident is the latest in a series of controversies this summer, and follows a racism row, threats by India to leave, and players fined for aggressive behaviour. The new outburst of bickering sets an unpleasant scene ahead of Sunday's first tri-series final between the two teams, in Sydney.
Hayden told a Brisbane radio station on Tuesday that Harbhajan was a constant pest, echoing sentiments by other team members who feel the Indian spinner has been the cause of most of the on-field problems this year.
"It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan - the first time I ever met him, he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now," Hayden told Triple M. "There is a certain line that you can kind of go to and then you know where you push it and he just pushes it all the time."
Meanwhile, excerpts from the letter sent by Indian team management to match referee Jeff Crowe after Sunday's fiery clash explain how the tourists have tried to limit their sledging during the series, only to be verbally hammered by the Australians.
"Even if we have tried to play in the spirit of the game, some of the players from the Australian side have made a few comments that has brought disharmony to the game," the letter said.
Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) secretary Niranjan Shah said the sledging issue had got "out of hand and is going too far".
However, he indicated the BCCI would not be reacting in a manner that would inflame the issue. "It is best to ignore such comments, which are not good for the game," Shah said.
The Indians flew to Sydney from Hobart yesterday after clinching their place in the tri-series finals with a comfortable win over Sri Lanka.
New Delhi: The gloves used by Indian wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni during the most recent triangular series one-day match against Australia are legal, the Indian manufacturer claims.
Dhoni avoided a penalty by agreeing not to use the gloves again after they were found to have illegally large webbing during India's 18-run loss.
Former Australian wicket-keeper-turned-TV commentator Ian Healy sparked a probe into the gloves after the Indian skipper pulled off a stunning diving catch to dismiss Adam Gilchrist. The ball lodged in the gloves' webbing and Healy claimed that the webbing was illegal.
But India's Sunrising Sportings Goods hit back. "The same gloves are also being used [under the brand name Puma] by wicketkeeper Gilchrist. Then why are those gloves not termed illegal?" company director Virendra Sareen asked Wednesday's Mid-Day newspaper.
Meanwhile, retired leg-spin great Shane Warne has been named captain and coach of the Jaipur team in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League.
with AFP
http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/insane-hayden-will-get-a- fight-says-player/2008/02/27/1203788444182.html
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