Cricket: Boots are made for paying

By RICHARD BOOCK

Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh's much-awaited return to New Zealand has possibly not started as he would have planned.

The man who devastated Steve Waugh's Australian team last year was served with an instant $200 fine as he checked through Auckland Airport yesterday for not declaring the dirt on one of his pairs of playing boots.

In an action replay of last year's mud-slinging welcome, when Australian league star Darren Lockyer was nabbed for the same offence, Harbhajan's dirty laundry was aired as the Indian side checked in for a visit comprising two test matches and seven one-day internationals.

The 22-year-old off-spinner was found to have in his luggage at least eight pairs of boots, one of which were deemed to breach this country's bio-security laws.

The incident, on top of a 20-hour connection from India, delayed the touring party by an extra 30 minutes as they made their way through Customs and MAF checks, and it was eventually a slightly frazzled group who boarded the team bus.

Harbhajan, who took 15 wickets at Chennai last year to propel India to a dramatic series win over Australia, first toured New Zealand in the summer of 1998-99, but failed to make an impression and departed with his future in doubt.

His career then blossomed, and he has now taken the same number of wickets (139) as New Zealand spin star Daniel Vettori, despite playing 11 fewer test matches.