A Bundaberg Rum in friends home in Chandigarh during IPL settles ugly Monkeygate spat between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds | Cricket News
Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan has recalled how the spat with the late Andrew Symonds turned into a friendship after the controversial Monkeygate scandal in the 2007/08 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Both players were part of the Indian Premier League team Mumbai Indians which won the trophy in 2013. However, before they could have a good bond on the field they had to work out things off-field. “Harbhajan says the moment came at a friend’s house in Chandigarh where Symonds approached him with a bottle of Bundaberg Rum,” quoted Daily Telegraph.
“We sat together for a long, long time and talked about it, and at the end of the conversation we had a long, long hug and the picture of the hug became very famous in our chat groups,’’ Harbhajan said. “I have written a very nice piece on him for my book which is a tribute I want to make with him and I will put that photo in. I wrote about how a very ugly spat became a great friendship. I think things happen for a reason. That Sydney thing should never have exploded like it did.”
“When he came over he was like ‘How are we going to settle this?’ but we sat down and we spoke about it. We did sort out everything. We left the controversy behind. We won the championship together. We actually hung out together every evening. It was the best time,’’ the off-spinner further said.
Harbhajan commenting on Starsports would go on to say he wished the incident did not happened. “I wish neither of us went through it. Andrew is missed every day. I was shattered the news of his death. When I heard of his accident I just hoped it was false news. I couldn’t believe it.”
“When I was getting off the plane in Brisbane last week I thought that if he was still alive and living in Brisbane, I would have gone to his place that night. Then we would have gone out. I just know that. That was how we were.”
What happened?
The New Year’s Test between India and Australia at the Sydney, remembered mostly for the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal, saw one of the ugliest controversies in cricket erupt. Australia captain Ricky Ponting, on the last day of the Test, complained to them that Harbhajan had racially insulted Symonds calling him a “monkey”.
Australia beat India 122 runs in the Test, but the real battle was yet to come. It was fought in a courtroom over the next few days, with Harbhajan having been suspended for three Tests.
Testimonies of the incident flew in from both sides. Match referee Mike Procter found his photograph splashed on the front pages of Indian newspapers. Michael Clarke was one of the Australians who insed he had heard Harbhajan, while India’s senior players backed Harbhajan.
In ‘Playing It My Way’, Tendulkar wrote “Anil Kumble (the then captain) and I took the lead and it was unanimously decided that we would boycott the tour if Bhajji’s ban was upheld.”
“I want to state very clearly that the incident arose because Andrew Symonds had been continually trying to provoke Bhajji and it was inevitable that the two would have an altercation at some point. While walking up to Bhajji to try to calm things down, I heard him say ‘Teri maa ki’ (Your mother…) to Symonds. It is an expression we often use in north India to vent our anger and to me it was all part of the game,” the batting maestro said.
Eventually, Harbhajan’s punishment was reduced to a 50% match-fee fine. ICC removed umpire Bucknor from the third Test in Perth. India won that Test in Perth but Australia drew the final Test in Adelaide and won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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