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Aussie media targets Harbhajan again

Source: PTI
Last updated on: March 03, 2008 15:26 IST
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Trouble seems to be chasing Harbhajan Singh with the feisty off-spinner alleged to have made monkey gestures towards the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground during India's victory in the first tri-series final on Sunday.

Local media reported that Harbhajan apparently motioned as if to scratch his armpits with both hands in the same manner fans did to taunt Andrew Symonds in the one-day series in India last year.

The Sydney Morning Herald claimed to have a picture of Harbhajan making the gesture.

However, India's team manager Bimal Soni, denied Harbhajan made the monkey gestures.

"The crowd was harassing him, he has not done anything," he told the paper.

Under the ICC's code of conduct, if Harbhajan is accused of making a racist gesture, he would be charged under section 3.3 -- the same provision under which he was cited during January's controversial Sydney Test.

A spectator said Harbhajan also spat towards the Sydney Cricket Ground crowd after they called him "a wanker".

"He definitely made the monkey gestures and he spat towards us. It was a bit disgraceful really, especially after what happened here in the Test match [the allegation of racist slur by Harbhajan towards Andrew Symonds]. Craig Woodbury, a spectator in the Bill O'Reilly stand, told the newspaper.

"There are a lot of young people sitting here and it was inappropriate. He is a role model to a lot of people. If he wants respect he has to treat others with respect. He is always going to cop it from the crowd but he is a professional sportsman and he has got to expect that."

The alleged incident occurred about 10 minutes after Harbhajan dismissed opener Matthew Hayden, who called him an "obnoxious little weed" on radio last week.

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