Harbhajan pleads guilty, banned for 11 IPL games

[Nadeem]

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New Delhi: Harbhajan Singh has been banned for 11 matches in the Indian Premier League in a hearing on Monday for slapping Sreshant after the game between Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab was concluded. Sreesanth was seen in tears after the incident took place and was being consoled by his Mohali teammates and owner Preity Zinta.

The match referee found that the incident was unprovoked. Harbhajan has been fined with 100 percent match fee and has to forfeit all all of his fees from the third game onwards. Sreesanth has also been warned.

Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput was also found guilty under Level Two offence (not stopping misconduct by a player) for breaching 'Spirit of Cricket' and has been fined 50 per cent of his fees. Rajput was standing behind Harbhajan and did not take any step to stop him.

Now Harbhajan can play in IPL only if Mumbai qualify for the semi-finals. But trouble for the off-spinner may not be over completely as he has to appear before the BCCI's independent hearing, which served him with a show cause notice on Saturday. Harbhajan is a contracted player with the BCCI and hence the BCCI will pursue the matter independently.

Harbhajan Singh accepted the charge at the code of conduct hearing, adding whatever happened was not due to any ill-intention. The off-spinner, accompanied by Mumbai coach Lalchand Rajput and Harsha Bhogle to the hearing, said his primary focus was to play for India. He also made clear that he had no malice towards Sreesanth.

Harbhajan was the stand-in skipper for the Mumbai Indians in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar. The controversial bowler was temporariy banned on Saturday after news regarding his tiff broke out and did not play in Sunday's game against the Deccan Chargers.

[Nadeem]

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MUMBAI: India spinner Harbhajan Singh was handed a 11-match ban from a domestic Twenty20 tournament on Monday after being found guilty of slapping national team-mate Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

The bowler could also face further punishment from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which announced a separate probe into the incident that took place in Mohali on Friday night.

Harbhajan, 27, allegedly slapped Sreesanth, 25, soon after a match, leaving the young paceman weeping inconsolably in full view of television cameras.

Harbhajan, who was leading Mumbai, later apologised to Punjab's Sreesanth and the two appeared to have made up by calling each other "brothers."

But match referee Farokh Engineer held a hearing on Monday after the Punjab team management lodged a formal complaint against Harbhajan to tournament officials. Engineer, a former India Test wicket-keeper, imposed a 11-match ban on Harbhajan, which means the off-spinner can play only if Mumbai make the semi-finals.

"The referee studied video tapes of the incident and found the assault by Harbhajan was totally unprovoked," tournament organiser Lalit Modi said.

The BCCI on Monday appointed lawyer Sudhir Nanavati to probe the charges against Harbhajan, who is on its payroll as a centrally contracted player.

Nanavati will submit his findings within 15 days after which the BCCI will decide on further action against the bowler, a release from the cricket body said.

Harbhajan could be charged by the BCCI under level 4 of the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct which deals with assaulting a fellow player.

If found guilty, he could be banned for life or five Test matches or 10 one-day internationals.

"The BCCI will not hesitate to take action against Harbhajan just because he has already been punished by the tournament organisers," said Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI's chief administrative officer.

"We want to show that such acts of indiscipline will not be tolerated."

Harbhajan was banned for three Tests earlier this year after being found guilty of making racist remarks against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, but was let off with a fine following an appeal to the ICC.