Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh has lost all the sympathy which he gained after his well-publicised spat with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
He has deservedly been banned for 11 matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and faces further action from the Indian cricket board.
Harbhajan went too far in slapping fellow cricketer Sreesanth. Admittedly, Sreesanth is no angel and has rubbed many of his opponents the wrong way since his entry into the big league. But getting physical is just not cricket. Sreesanth must have surely needled Harbhajan during the match, but the slap was not the answer.
Harbhajan has got a bit cocky after the support he got for his antics in Australia. Now the Australians have got the last laugh.
The Sikh has got a record for bad behaviour. Earlier, it was being passed off as competitive spirit. Now the Indians have seen the real picture.
Harbhajan will now face a long, hard battle to gain back some respect. The timing of his action was also wrong because the spinner had a great series against the visiting South Africans just a few weeks ago.
The bowler seemed to be getting back into his own after a long barren spell. The match-winning performances had begun to resurface again.
Sreesanth should not be spared either. He has taken aggression to dramatic levels which in small doses can be bearable.
Unfortunately, the paceman has been unable to match his words with action. His erratic bowling has given away the initiative on many occasions.
Sreesanth has loads of talent. He must take the example of South African Andre Nel and make use of it in a better fashion.
It is refreshing to see cricketers from the subcontinent showing a bit of aggression on the field. However, they seem to take things too far at times.
They must learn to get subtle like the Australians and use the sledging to unnerve a player.
By being dramatic, they have opened themselves to action more often than not. Players like Shoaib Akhtar have spoilt their careers by stupid actions.
Akhtar's career has virtually ended by his brash proclamations against the cricket board. That is really a shame as Akhtar is one of the most potent bowlers in world cricket and his absence will further dent the Pakistan team.
Hope Harbhajan will not go down the Akhtar route. He has a long and promising career ahead of him. But he must learn to let his hand do the bowling instead of beating.
