The verdict is out. The highly televised sobbing saga of S Sreesanth of last Friday has transposed ino an 11-match ban sentence on perpetrator of the crime — turbunator Harbhajan Singh.
In the Harbhajan-Sreesanth slap saga, Bhajji may have so far appeared to be the villain of the piece and Sree may have got all the sympathy with his teary post match lap of the stadium, but if umpire Amiesh Saheba is to be believed the loose-tongued bowler from Kochi was equally to blame for the bust-up. According to Saheba, Sreesanth behaved like “petulant school boy”ceaselessly sledging the Mumbai Indians.
But whatever be the provocation, the act was completely uncalled for. You just cannot slap another player like that. Cricket is not a combat sport, unlike rugby or football. It is a gentleman’s game and gentlemen don’t go about slapping each other.
On the other hand, Sree too cannot be let off lightly. There has to be some provoking to evoke such a strong reaction. In this regard, IPl has been too strict and it’s punishment too harsh. Or has it? Shouldn’t it have looked into the past record of BOTH the players? If the purpose of this punishment is to set an example then shouldn’t both have been punished? Debate.
3 Comments
April 29, 2008 at 9:46 am
Both have been punished. Bhajji suffers a 11 match ban, while Sreesanth got his through the slap.
A just punishment.
April 29, 2008 at 11:23 am
I sometime find it harder to determine the “just”, for most of the time we see only one side of the picture…whether shreesanth or bhajji is just i ‘m not sure of …but it is sure thats was not sporting anyways …if they can not control temper
April 29, 2008 at 3:22 pm
The eleven IPL ban on the turbunator Harbhajan Singh is what he deserved. A player should show his sportsmanship on the field and maintain the spirit of the game. Slapping a fellow player is a serious offence, it was the saddest day in the Indian cricket though bhajji accepted his guilt (he had no other option). The sobbing Sreesanth may have compromised with Harbhajan Singh addresing him as his elder brother but the costly slap will take some time to be erased out of his mind.