KEY POINTS:
Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh is likely to escape punishment for his alleged racial abuse of Australian allrounder Andrew Symonds because neither umpire heard anything suspicious on the field.
Match referee Mike Proctor said neither of the on-field officials, Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson, was aware of the heated exchange between Harbhajan and Symonds during the final session of yesterday's play at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
"The umpires did not hear anything, they did not know anything about it," he told Channel Nine.
Harbhajan's hearing for a breach of the International Cricket Council's code of conduct, in which he faces a ban of up to four tests, has been postponed until after play today following a request from Indian officials.
The spinner has denied he made racist comments to Symonds just three months after Symonds was subjected to monkey noises and gestures from Indian crowds during Australia's one-day tour there.
If past cases are an indicator, it will be hard for Harbhajan to be found guilty. Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist accused Pakistan counterpart Rashid Latif of racial abuse during the 2003 World Cup. Latif was cleared because of a lack of evidence.
The same situation appears likely in Harbhajan's case as it looks to only be the word of the Australian players against that of the Indian players. Australian Darren Lehmann was the first player to be banned for racial abuse when he was suspended for five one-dayers for a racial remark within earshot of the Sri Lankan dressing room during the 2002-03 season.
The latest developments came after Indian great Sunil Gavaskar accused the Australian side of double standards following captain Ricky Ponting's complaint that led to the offspinner's citing. Gavaskar has been a fierce critic of the behaviour of Ponting's men and felt the Australians could dish it out but not take it in return.
"If the umpires have not heard it, then what has happened to the famous Australian saying of 'what happens on the field stays on the field'," Gavaskar said.
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor feared Ponting had opened up a can of worms and potential tit for tat citings by rival captains over on-field behaviour.
Former England captain Tony Greig, infamous for a host of insensitive comments over the years, felt the normally dominant Australians always became testy when things were going against them.
- AAP
