BCCI gags Bhajji after CA cries foul

Mumbai/Sydney, March 9: The cricket board has told off-spinner Harbhajan Singh to stop talking to the media on the just-concluded tour of Australia where he was involved in the racism controversy.
"Yes, we received a mail from Cricket Australia about Harbhajan Singh. He has been told not to talk to the media on the Australian tour. He has to accept our directive," BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said on Sunday.
Harbhajan was found guilty of using abusive remarks against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds and was fined by the International Cricket Council-appointed judge John Hansen.
Harbhajan was called "an obnoxious little weed" by Mathew Hayden during the later part of the one-day tri-series for which the Aussie opener was reprimanded by Cricket Australia. On his return to India, Harbhajan was quoted in the Mail Today as terming Hayden "a liar" and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist "no saint", which he later denied.
Earlier, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland had reportedly wrote to the BCCI on Saturday to express his exasperation at Harbhajan’s comments reported in a Delhi-based newspaper. "Enough is enough," Sutherland wrote in his letter to BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah.
"Despite assurances that you have instructed him not to fuel this issue any more, Harbhajan continues to say whatever he wants. When will it ever end? Could you please deal with your player in regard to these comments," Sutherland was quoted by Sydney’s Sun Herald newspaper as saying.
The Sun Herald said CA officials spoke privately with the Indian board during the volatile series, and received assurances that the spinner would be counselled about the difference between what they perceived as provocative remarks and personal abuse.
"We believe it is possible to make intelligent, thoughtful and even provocative public comment without descending to personal abuse," a CA spokesman said.
With the tour over, the spinner made his controversial comments after India’s triumphant homecoming last week. "Don’t talk about Hayden’s credibility, he is a big liar," Harbhajan was quoted as saying.