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Harbhajan slapped with suspension

Combative Harbhajan Singh has been suspended for slapping his Indian team-mate and IPL rival S Sree Santh just after their league match at Mohali on Friday night.

Watch: Bhajji suspended for slapping Sreesanth

In pics: Public protest against Harbhajan

The Indian Premier League’s chairman and commissioner, Lalit Modi, announced this late on Saturday night even as the slapstick episode was threatening to overrun the league itself. ‘‘There is enough prima facie video evidence to temporarily suspend Harbhajan with immediate effect,’’ he said in a statement.

‘‘The match adjudicator and referee, Farokh Engineer, has seen and reviewed the evidence and has arrived at this decision,’’ he said in the press release. Harbhajan cannot play in the crucial IPL match against Team Hyderabad on Sunday now, pending the inquiry into the incident.

Before the evidence emerged, Harbhajan had been slapped with a show-cause notice and was given till Monday to present his case. The feisty off-spinner had barely escaped a similar ban during the recent tour to Australia when the host broadcaster couldn’t provide evidence to prove he had made racist remarks against Andrew Symonds.

This time, however, he couldn’t beat the cameras. The ugly incident took place shortly after the encounter between Mumbai Indians and Team Mohali. According to involved parties, the stormy petrels of Indian cricket exchanged cold vibes, if not angry words, during the entire match. They are also known to not get along too well.

During the post-match formalities, Harbhajan (who as acting skipper has presided over three defeats for the costliest team in the IPL) lost his cool and slapped Sree Santh. The Kerala pacer was captured by cameras sobbing like a child. ‘‘I simply said ‘hard luck. Better luck next time’,’’ Sree Santh told TOI .

‘‘I don’t want to say anything about it,’’ said Harbhajan. ‘‘All I can tell you is that whatever happened on the field was not right,’’ he conceded to TOI . ‘‘We are like a family and I am like an elder brother to Sree Santh. We have sorted it out and there is nothing beyond that,’’ he tried to explain.

It is, however, not so simple. As the IPL is governed by ICC laws, its code of conduct automatically applies. For any physical abuse of players, officials or spectators, a player can be suspended for 10 One-dayers or five Test matches, up to a life ban. Worse, Harbhajan might end up being penalised by both IPL and BCCI.

‘‘It’s an unfortunate incident. He could face punishment from both BCCI and IPL. As per the contract between BCCI and its contracted players, we have certain guidelines for the players and if they violate them, they have to face the music,’’ BCCI president Sharad Pawar told TOI.

Mumbai Indians regret Bhajji behaviour, hope for solution

The Mumbai Indians on Sunday regretted the controversy surrounding their suspended stand-in captain Harbhajan Singh and said they are optimistic that the row would be resolved amicably after Monday's hearing in the case.

Reacting to Harbhajan's temporary suspension after he had allegedly slapped Kings XI Punjab player S Sreesanth, an unnamed official of the Mumbai Indians, while terming the incident at Mohali two nights ago as unfortunate, said they were confident that the issue would be sorted out soon.

"The incident involving Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth of the Punjab King's XI was most unfortunate. The Governing Council has set up an adjudication panel to inquire into the incident. The Mumbai Indians are confident that the decision taken by the panel will be in the best interests of cricket and the DLF Indian Premier League," he said in a statement.

"The Mumbai Indians are hopeful that the Harbhajan Singh issue will be resolved amicably," he added.

The IPL swung into action late on Saturday and suspended Harbhajan, who allegedly slapped Sreesanth after the Mumbai Indians had crashed to their third successive defeat in the Twenty20 league at Mohali.

The Cricket Board, under whose overall jurisdiction the IPL functions as a sub-committee, had already slapped a show-cause notice on the off-spinner asking him to explain his conduct at Mohali.

IPL commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi later suspended the bowler and also decided that a panel, headed by match referee Farokh Engineer, would meet both parties at a formal hearing in Delhi before deciding on future course of action.

If found guilty, Harbhajan faces a suspension of five Tests or 10 ODIs, as per the Code of Conduct of the International Cricket Council that is being followed by the IPL Governing Council, or even a life ban.

Harbhajan led the Mumbai Indians team in the first three ties in the absence of regular captain Sachin Tendulkar who is struggling to get fit following a groin injury sustained in Australia which got aggravated during the first home Test against South Africa at the end of last month.