Cricket’s angry young man in Telugu film?
The buzz is that Sree Santh is set to sign a film with four top actresses
IF Bollywood can get its manicured fingers into cricket, why shouldn’t a cricketer drop his bat and ball to grab a role in films? It’s been done before, of course, with disastrous consequences. But who’s to tell that to Sree Santh, who has been pretty vocal about his route to stardom via the silver screen? According to a source, Sree Santh is about to sign a film. The buzz is that he will be playing the lead in a Telugu project (eat your heart out, Bollywood) with four actresses in it, including a top south Indian star. The story is about a cricketer who turns into a star.
The angry young man of cricket, Sree Santh, for whom this script might have been written, should be most comfortable with his debut. The producer has asked the Team India paceman, who is also part of Preity Zinta’s Mohali team, for just 15 days to shoot his scenes. Sree Santh’s response is awaited.
The star player, notorious for doing a jig on the field each time he claims a wicket, should be a treat to watch on screen. According to the source, the news of the Telugu film was broken by Sree Santh himself. “He drove his new SUV on to the sets of an ad film that MS Dhoni and Ishant Sharma were shooting and took his teammates for a long drive. When they got back, Sree Santh was heard telling them how excited he was about the film. He also told them that he will be signing the film very soon,” added the source.
What repercussions will the Harbhajan-Sree Santh spat have in the Indian dressing room when the team reassembles for Tests and Onedayers? No one is willing to take a call as yet on the situation. On Monday, there were mixed reactions from some high-profile Indian players and representatives of the BCCI following the 11-IPL match ban on Harhajan.
BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said: “It’s not going to affect the spirit of the Indian players. After all, they are all professional players and they are aware of their responsibility. And what Harbhajan did on the field was nothing but irresponsible behaviour.’’
But there are players in the team who actually don’t know what impact this tiff will have on the dressing room. “At this point, we cannot really say how the dressing room is going to behave, but I guess the dust is going to settle down with time. What Harbhajan did was completely wrong. But as far as our knowledge goes, he does not react like this till he is provoked,’’ an Indian player told TOI on conditions of anonymity.
“Sitting from here I am not in a position to comment much. But it’s really sad the way this incident has unfolded. Probably, this embarrassment could have been avoided if Harbhajan had controlled his anger till the teams reached the dressing room corridor. But Sree Santh’s behavior in the IPL match against Team Jaipur was also not good. He provoked Mohd Kaif in the match and made faces. This is quite unacceptable when you are part of the Indian team. He does a lot of drama on the field,’’ another player quipped.
IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said: “Probably, too much is at stake for the players and that is why they want to give their 100 per cent on the field. In the IPL, they are not only playing for themselves but also for their teams. There is passion and if someone decides to cross the line, that cricketer needs to be corrected,’’ IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said.
However, there are also players who believe that Harbhajan is a proven player in the team and if he misses out a couple of crucial Test or One-day matches, it may cost Team
Bhajji banned
Monday was pay-up time. Bad Boy Bhajji was banned for 11 IPL matches for slapping Sree Santh
The IPL has banned volatile off-spinner and Mumbai Indians’ stand-in skipper, Harbhajan Singh, for 11 IPL matches after finding him guilty of physically assaulting fellow Indian cricketer and Team Mohali bowler Sree Santh after an IPL game on Friday evening. According to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, Harbhajan has also been fined 100% of his match fee for his conduct on the field.
The ban implies that Harbhajan stands to lose as much as Rs 3 crore as he will only be paid for the two matches that he played in the T20 league. Sree Santh too was given a warning on the basis of his behaviour in previous matches. Harbhajan’s attack, however, was found to have been ‘‘unprovoked’’.
There could be further trouble for ‘‘bad boys’’ Harbhajan and Sree Santh as BCCI too has launched a probe into the spat which will examine the backdrop to the assault.
Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput was also found guilty of ‘‘conduct flouting the spirit of the game’’. ‘‘It’s a Level 2 offence. He was fined 50% of his match fee as well. In the video footage, Lalchand was standing right behind Harbhajan and he could have stopped the incident from happening. He didn’t take any step to restrain him from behaving like that. Instead, he stood there and was found laughing in the tape,’’ a top BCCI official told TOI.
The ugly incident between Harbhajan and Sree Santh occurred a few minutes after the Mumbai team lost to Team Mohali. Images of a profusely weeping Sree Santh were aired on TV after the fiasco. Footage made available to the match referee Farokh Engineer shows Harbhajan shaking hands with Team Mohali members after the match.
Said Modi: ‘‘Then, the video shows Harbhajan slapping Sree Santh instead of giving him a handshake. I would like to make it clear to all players that the cricket board is not going to spare anyone who crosses the limit.’’
Modi added that Harbhajan had accepted he slapped the pacer under no provocation and the match referee states this in his report.
‘‘As a penalty for the Level 4.2 offence committed by Harbhajan Singh, we hereby order that Singh be banned for the rest of the league matches of the first IPL event,’’ he said while announcing Engineer’s verdict here in a city hotel on Monday, after the IPL inquiry committee examined the footage of the incident and consulted representatives from both teams.
‘‘Harbhajan Singh will also be fined 100% of his match fee that may have been paid or may hereafter be paid to him in respect of the remaining matches only. That does not take into account any of the two earlier matches (prior to Friday) that he may have played,’’ Modi added.
Engineer, who conducted the hearing, said: ‘‘Harbhajan accepted his guilt. It can happen to any cricketer and I am glad that Harbhajan knows where he has gone wrong.’’ The former Indian cricketer then announced: ‘‘Sree Santh has been warned to behave well on the field.’’
Later, while addressing the gathering, Harbhajan hugged and shook hands with the Kerala fast bowler.
Bhajji on the bench
Harbhajan banned for 11 IPL matches. He’s effectively out of this year’s IPL
Fined 100% of fees from third match on. In all, Bhajji will lose almost Rs 3 crore
Punishment from BCCI likely too. Advocate Sudhir Nanavati to submit probe report to BCCI chief Sharad Pawar within 15 days Sree Santh warned to watch behaviour
Mumbai Indians manager Lalchand Rajput fined 50% match fee for not stopping Bhajji
After the slap, patch-up efforts. Team Mohali sources said on Sunday that after the ugly dust-up on Friday night during an IPL tie, Harbhajan had requested Sree Santh not to lodge a complaint. However, Mohali took the initiative to registering the case with the IPL governing council.
Sree Santh, on his part, wants to get on with the game. “I was not expecting this from Bhajji bhai. It was like a WWF punch and I was so shocked that I started crying. I have to forget this incident. I am not a kind of guy who will nurse ill feelings about my teammates. I was hurt then. But now, I want to just think about the game,” he said.
About the hearing process, Shah informed, that video footage of the post-match proceeding would be made available during the hearing which will be IPL chairman Lalit Modi and the BCCI legal counsel. From Team Mumbai, coach Lalchand Rajput will be present along with Harbhajan and team manager. Mohali team’s CEO Niel Maxwell and captain Yuvraj Singh will accompany Sree Santh.
Shah also reiterated: “A bad precedence will be set if Harbhajan is allowed to get away. It’s a serious allegation. They have taken the MCC Spirit of Cricket pledge. You can’t assault another player. You just can’t cross the line. Now that Harbhajan has done it, he has to face the consequences. At the end of the day, you got to have discipline in the game.”
Aussie media gleeful:
Meanwhile, Australian media reacted with glee. The Courier Mail published a photograph of the temperamental Indian, titled "What a slapper!" It was a file photograph of Harbhajan in Team
The "Sydney Morning Herald" too took note of the event and remarked, "The IPL was supposed to divide the cricketing world. Instead, it's bringing an end to racial hostilities. All they need to do now is get Harbhajan Singh to stop slapping his fellow Indians around."
"Singh slap shocker" screamed a headline in the "Herald Sun", which said how the spat "rocked" the IPL.
THE Harbhajan-Sreesanth clash has given the IPL governing council an excellent opportunity. An opportunity to show the cricketing world & especially its skeptics, that underneath all its million dollars & the glamour, the fanfare & the uninhibited commercialisation of the sport, rests a pure cricketing soul.
Harbhajan has committed a very serious offence. Slapping or punching an opponent in a non-physical contact sport, is as bad as it can get.
The eyes of the world are on the IPL governing council as they meet on Monday to tackle a very serious disciplinary issue involving one of the stars of the IPL.
The timing of the incident is such that the council’s decision will almost define the credibility & the stature of the IPL in the sporting world.
Having said that, lets also spare a thought for Harbhajan. If Harbhajan gets banned for a period of time (which seems the most likely penalty) its important, that after that, Bhajji is not left alone in the wilderness to sort out his own problems.
The BCCI should in a way, feel responsible for what Bhajji has become today.
I believe Harbhajan needs counselling. The BCCI should take it upon themselves to arrange prolonged sessions of serious counselling for Bhajji. This will ensure that he returns to serve Indian cricket a healthier human being.
A few years back, Cricket
And yes, while Bhajji is going through those sessions may be Sree Santh also could help himself to a few.
Hope this issue is quickly & appropriately dealt with, so that we can get back to enjoying the cricket.
BHAJJI POW GONE SOUR
‘Harbhajan should have controlled his anger’
Even as Indian cricket woke up to another controversy, there were conflicting reports from both camps. A Mumbai Indians player, on condition of anonymity, conceded that Harbhajan Singh did indeed take a swipe at Sree Santh.
“Everybody knows Sree Santh is no saint. His on-field antics are well known. When the Mumbai Indians were fighting a losing battle, Sree did not desist from riling the tailenders. He also taunted Harbhajan when he had come out to bat. And when Sree approached Bhajji at the end of the game, the off-spinner could not control his frustration and swung out at Sree. It was just a spur of the moment reaction and should not be blown out of proportion.’’
But a Team Mohali cricketer, who played a leading role in the team’s win defended Sree Santh. “Harbhajan ought to have controlled his anger. We all know how hot-headed Bhajji paaji is. It’s one thing to take on the likes of Andrew Symonds and Ricky Pointing but it’s totally unacceptable to use one’s hand on a fellow-player. Sree is an emotional and demonstrative person. It’s not the blow, but Bhajji’s behaviour which brought tears to Sree’s eyes.’’
What people say about this:
The inquiry date has been fixed as Monday in
Farokh Engineer | MATCH REFEREE
The IPL is BCCI’s domestic tournament and it is the supreme authority to take appropriate action in this regard
—ICC SPOKESMAN
It looks like a serious matter the way it’s being shown on television channels. In any tournament it should not happen, it’s unfortunate what happened
Lalit Modi | IPL COMMISSIONER
As Modi said the process has been put in place. Like Modi said an ICC code of conduct will be applicable
IS Bindra | IPL GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER
The team has made a decision after much consideration. It is not something we are not proud of, but one which we have taken in the interest of the game.
Neil Maxwell | CEO OF TEAM MOHALI
Nothing much, nothing really happened, whatever has happened should stay on the field. Like an elder brother, he has been supporting me from day one in the Indian team. At the end of the day we are playing for the same country. I was upset because I am an emotional person. And whatever happened on the field, it’s between me and him and it’s a very old thing.
Sree Santh
We are just like brothers. There are a lot of things that happens in a family. And we are part of one family. So I think the thing which has been hyped so much — we have sorted out between us. So, we should stop now.
Harbhajan Singh
I don’t think any such thing happened and it should not be blown out of proportion by everybody. Harbhajan is my son and so is Sree Santh. At the end of the day, they have to play together for the country.
Avtaar Kaur | HARBHAJAN’S MOTHER
This is the most difficult period in his career
Savitri Devi | SREE SANTH’S MOTHER
These players should have been disciplined a long ago.Because they were not they are doing these things. Cricket isn’t played with body language, it is played with bat and ball.
S Venkatraghavan | FORMER
Bhajji fry: It was waiting to happen
Just before a boxing bout, the contestants warmly shake hands; then, they go about breaking each other’s noses and bones. In soccer, the niceties are usually left for the end; during the playing time, though, almost anything is seen as par for the course.
This artificial show of player-camaraderie hit an amazing high on Friday night in a game apparently played by gentlemen for gentlemen: even as the victors and vanquished were ruefully shaking hands, Harbhajan Singh punched (yes punched in true WWE style, not slapped!)
The stand-in Mumbai
The question is for how long have these wounds been festering between these two highly volatile players? Indeed, what riled Harbhajan so much that he couldn’t keep his fist to himself ? Or worse, has he become a chronic case?
Sree Santh is no cry-baby himself. He loves to needle opponents, and often succeeds, like a true fast bowler. If nothing, he infuriates them with his tantrums and theatrics on the field; interestingly, he is not particularly popular among his own mates either.
Harbhajan, on the other hand, is a feisty off-spinner; he even has a record that would make a serial offender proud. In fact, well before he was glorified as turbanator, he had shown traces of indiscipline too, if not streaks of violence. As he was not curbed in the formative years, he has grown into a monster now.
As Team
The BCCI officials are up in arms now. They have slapped (no pun intended) him with a show-cause notice and according to all indications, he will be banned for a considerable number of matches. There will be efforts to ensure he doesn’t lead Mumbai in their Sunday game, a day before the hearing. But is it too little, too late? Has the damage already been done? Harbhajan, according to sources, is contrite and is leaving no stone unturned to avoid a ban. The BCCI, or more precisely, the IPL will condone him at their own risk. Otherwise, Twenty-20 will end up becoming slanging or slapping matches.
(The article was written before Harbhajan was nailed by video evidence)
He asked Hayden
He asked Symonds 
He asked Kaif Too
Atlast He got it from Harbhajan 
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