Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

After going through the report submitted yesterday by Nanavati, BCCI has given its verdict today for Harbhajan Singh by extending his 11 match ban to 16 matches - that is an additional 5 match. BCCi also warned him of a life ban if he fails to mend his ways in playing the game in its true spirit.

This effectively means that Harbhajan will be out of the Bangladesh Tour apart from the ongoing IPL tournament. He has also forfeited his entire match fees for IPL for the slapping incident involving Sreesanth.

Sreesanth however was spared of any reprimand from BBCI - which established that the incident was totally unprovoked.

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BCCI-appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati has not recommended any further punishment for Harbhajan Singh in his report. “I will not recommend any sort of punishment to the players as I have been appointed to inquire about the incident under rule 32 of the BCCI,” Nanavati said.

Harbhajan’s 11 match IPL ban was good enough punishment, the report said. Sreesanth has also been let off as his involvement in the controversial incident was found to be non-provocative.Nanavati also mentioned in his report has also said that the incident was not pre-meditated.

“This is a level four offence and if a player is found guilty the quantum of sentence is ban on playing large number of matches or even for life time. Mohammad Azharauddin and Ajay Jadeja are facing life time ban,” said Nanavati in a reply to a question on what punishment a player can get if he is found guilty.

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BCCI investigator Sudhir Nanavati has met both Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth separately for about half an hour.He said that he is satisfied with his conversations with both the players and that there is no need to cross-examine them.

The BCCI appointed commissioner says he will not be meeting Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh and Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput who was seen laughing after Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth. Nanavati has already met the umpires of the match as also Farooq Engineer who held the enquiry on behalf of the DLF IPL and banned Harbhajan for 11 matches. The BCCI verdict is expected on Monday.

Earlier, both the cricketers arrived on time for the hearing at the Gujarat Law Society building in Ahmedabad.

Nanavati will now submit his report to the BCCI which will be referred to the BCCI’s disciplinary committee after Board president Sharad Pawar goes through it.

Harbhajan has already been banned for 11 matches of the DLF IPL, which rules him out of the tournament. The off-spinner has written to the Board pleading for another chance and a lenient punishment.

According to sources both the players expressed there desire to forget the incident and move on.

Harbhajan Singh was banned for eleven matches of IPL today as announced by Lalit Modi in a press conference a short while ago. The board arrived at this decision after watching a video footage of the incident and Harbhajan’s own acknowledgment. Earlier BCCI - the board of control of India have suspended him pending an explanation from him.

BCCI expressed their shock at his behaviour which was unprovoked during the recently concluded match between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab where he slapped Sreesanth playing for the rivals. BCCI found him guilty at a level of 4.2 which is high. This level even allows a board to suspend a player for ten match and even a lifetime ban. It was also mentioned that this kind attitude was not warranted in a game of cricket. Even Lalchand Rajput’s  (Team Manager of Mumbai Indians) behaviour was found not in the spirit of cricketas he was present at the place of the incident. Harbhajan has been fined 100% of the match fee for this incident while Lalchand Rajput will loose 50% of the match fees.

The incident occurred at the end of the Mumbai - Mohali match of the Indian Premier League  when Harbhajan was shaking hands with all members. On reaching Sreesanth who was third in the line he simply punched or slapped him on the face without any provocation.

Mr Farooque Enggineer match referee who was present during the hearing tried to broker peace between the two players by bringing them together when they shook hands and hug each other in front of the press. Harbhajan also apologized and accepted his mistake while asking fans to continue supporting the team.

We think that this is a correct decision which will set and example for players who are not in control of their emotions and cannot honor the spirit of the game. Also each Cricket Board should have proper counselors who should take care of such errant players.

© IPL Cricket Forum

Harbhajan Singh is suspended by BCCI pending his explanation for slapping his Indian teammate S Sreesanth at the end of an IPL match at Mohali on Friday night and appears headed for a severe punishment which can be a minimum of a ban for five Test matches or 10 one-day internationals.

Harbhajan was earlier slapped with a show-cause notice by the BCCI which gave him time till Monday to explain his conduct but bowing to media and public outrage, he was temporarily suspended till the disciplinary hearing before Farokh Engineer, who was the Match Referee in the tie between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians.

The suspension means Harbhajan Singh, who is the stand-in captain for the Mumbai Indians, will not be able to play for the team against Deccan Chargers tomorrow in Mumbai.

Announcing the suspension, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said that based on prima facie video evidence as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Farokh Engineer from the tapes provided by Sony & TWI, a decision has been reached to suspend with immediate effect Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday, April 28, 2008.

“The inquiry into the incident at Mohali in the game between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians will now take place at the Maurya Sheraton, New Delhi on April 28th 2008. A final verdict would be announced by the adjudicator Farokh Engineer post hearing at New Delhi”, he said in a statement.

As per the ICC Code of Conduct, slapping a fellow player constitutes a level 4 offence and could lead to a life ban or a minimum ban of five Tests to 10 ODIs.

BCCI President Sharad Pawar said that he had told the IPL Chairman if there was prima facie evidence of wrong-doing on the part of any player, the IPL should take immediate action against the player.

Simaltaneously, he said, the IPL should give opportunity to both the players by hearing them and then take a final view. The IPL Committee will take a separate decision on Monday, he added.

The immediate provocation for Harbhajan’s action last night appears to be Sreesanth saying “hard luck” to the off spinner who was in a bad mood following the Mumbai team’s third successive loss.

Though Harbhajan, who had only recently escaped unscathed from a searing racial abuse row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, and his victim Sreesanth who cried bitterly on the field last night, tried to downplay the incident, the BCCI sought his explanation by Monday.

The IPL also asked the Match Referee and Adjudicator Engineer to hold an inquiry in Delhi on Monday when Singh would appear before him.

As the cricket world reacted with shock and condemned his behaviour, the Mumbai Indians brazenly announced late evening that Singh would captain tomorrow’s match against Deccan Chargers in Mumbai in the absence of an unfit Sachin Tendulkar.

But shortly later, Modi’s announcement came as a setback to the team which has already lost all the three matches in the tournament so far.