Harbhajan Singh banned from playing in IPL

Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Monday banned from playing
in the Indian Premier League matches for slapping his Indian teammate
S Sreesanth after he pleaded guilty and apologised for it.

Harbhajan Singh was than slapped with a fine of 100 per cent match
fees from the third match onwards while his Mumbai Indians coach
Lalchand Rajput was fined 50 per cent of the match fee for not
stopping the off-spinner’s attack on Sreesanth playing for
Kings XI Punjab.

S Sreesanth, who was at the receiving end Harbhajan Singh’s behaviour
at the end of an IPL match in Mohali on Friday night, was also warned
that his aggression on the field in future would be taken seriously.

Under the ICC code of conduct, level 4.2 offence relates to physically
assaulting a fellow player, match official or spectators, the penalty
for which ranges from a ban for a minimum of 5 Test matches or 10
one-day internationals and a maximum of life ban.

Modi said the code of conduct applied to both the players and officials.

The video clip of the incident showed Harbhajan shaking hands with Punjab players.
Sreesanth was third in the line but instead of shaking hands, Harbhajan actually
slapped him. Rajput was following Harbhajan down the line but he went on shaking hands
with other players, Modi said.

Harbhajan told reporters “all I want to say is whatever happened and whatever I did
was grossly wrong. Sreesanth is like my brother. We have played together and we will
play together again.

“I got punishment for whatever I did but the Board has always treated me like its
child and I hope they will continue to support me. When I come back to play again,
I will bring smiles to your faces,” he said.

 BCCI’s Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said
“people were shocked by his action and I am sure everybody agrees with the stand that
 has been taken.

“Getting physical with a fellow player cannot be condemned enough”, Shetty said.