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Harbhajan Singh faces ban

In the dock for his behaviour, temperamental off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Saturday suspended pending his explanation for slapping his Indian team-mate S Sreesanth at the end of an IPL match at Mohali last 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.

Watch: Will Bhajji face a life ban?

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 Farookh Engineer, who was the Match Referee in the tie between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians late last night.

Watch: Bhajji's tainted past

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 on Sunday 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 Farookh Engineer from the tapes provided by official channel partner, 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 Farookh Engineer post hearing at New Delhi", he said in a statement.

Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW , Modi said, "I am very particular about maintaining the code of conduct guidelines that the players have signed, that is why Harbhajan has been temporarily suspended, pending inquiry."

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.

Rajiv Shukla, the vice president of BCCI said that 'there is no room for indiscipline'. Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW , Rajiv Shukla said, "This is the right step. The incident is unfortunate but that it has taken place, action has to be taken."

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.

Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth tried to downplay the incident. The off-spinner said the issue has been "sorted out" and the pacer remarked that Harbhajan is like his "elder brother".

BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty asserted that the BCCI "meant business" in this matter. "We want to tell our players that discipline is equally important and not only their cricketing talent," he said.

Shetty said the Board had issued a letter to Harbhajan asking for his explanation with Monday evening is the deadline.

He mentioned a decision on the off-spinner's participation in the IPL and further disciplinary actions for the alleged misconduct were two separate angles of the issue.

"This has never happened in Indian cricket when somebody physically assaulted another player. It is an extremely serious matter and we are dealing with it very seriously," he added.

Sreesanth's Turnaround

Sreesanth when, he first spoke to TIMES NOW , told us that Bhajji had the right to beat him up. But when Sreesanth spoke to a Malayalee Channel, what actually happened between him and Bhajji after the match at Mohali.

Revealing the facts, Sreesanth's language, his tone was very different and he said that it was more than a slap, it was a slugfest.

Sreesanth said, "I never expected this behaviour, I was very surprised."

"It was said to be a slap, but it was more than that, it was like a slugfest", he said adding that he has forgiven Harbhajan for what he did to him and that he wanted to continue playing for the country.