What do you think of Harbhajan Singh?

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Agreed, Jono. Hence I used the word "generally".

For example, if off the field, they're taking drugs or match-fixing, then that will obviously affect my opinion of them. A bit of drunken stupidity is not quite sufficient.

Some may consider this adds a touch of character to what is a game which is rapidly becoming devoid of personalities.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Yeah he's talking about the India vs. Australia Sydney-gate one.

You're talking about one vs. NZ right?

Ah yes. That would explain it. I'll have to look up the India one. Any You Tube linkage available?

 

[silentstriker]

And what did Clarke do? Claim a catch you did not like? Give me a break

Clarke ought to be admired. He is on a one man crusade to single handedly introduce the one bounce rule in Test cricket.

There was a video with about seven catches (in ODI and Tests) claimed by Clarke that were, charitably, dubious. I'll see if its still on youtube.

 

[archie mac]

Are we talking about different catches?

And there's been a couple (a Pakistani wicketkeeper as I recall) but in that case, he was censured after the match and served a punishment accordingly. Clarke didn't get punished at all, did he?

No because it was a fair catch

I was thinking of one by SA against England, the other players withdrew the appeal thankfully

 

[archie mac]

Clarke ought to be admired. He is on a one man crusade to single handedly introduce the one bounce rule in Test cricket.

There was a video with about seven catches (in ODI and Tests) claimed by Clarke that were, charitably, dubious. I'll see if its still on youtube.

It still should be remembered that tv is 2d and life 3d. Most close catches on TV look like the ball has hit the ground.

 

[silentstriker]

It still should be remembered that tv is 2d and life 3d. Most close catches on TV look like the ball has hit the ground.

Yea, and make the grass bend and dirt to come off.

 

[archie mac]

Yea, and make the grass bend and dirt to come off.

Hands under the ball

 

[silentstriker]

Hands under the ball

Well, he could have unusual fingers that keep going even after the camera sees them end.

 

[Jono]

Clarke ought to be admired. He is on a one man crusade to single handedly introduce the one bounce rule in Test cricket.

There was a video with about seven catches (in ODI and Tests) claimed by Clarke that were, charitably, dubious. I'll see if its still on youtube.

Good luck. Youtube have turned all their videos upside down for April Fool's lol.

 

[honestbharani]

HB you're right, but I guess the problem is the thread asks for our thoughts on him, and we can only go by that which we know (that goes for all players of course).

I've heard stories of Harbie looking after his family and that's certainly admirable, just as McGrath looks after his and is involved in charities, and Ponting has his own foundation too.

We're all forming opinions on these guys from afar (although Punter nearly ran me over in his Porsche 4WD at the SCG one day as he was arriving for practice, so from that POV I guess I got closer to him than I should have .

Honestly, I don't have a problem if UC doesn't like him... It is his opinion and his right.. But the reasons he has been giving have been pretty dumb, for me... As Sanz pointed out, men like Sidhu and Maninder are not his friends and neither do they stand to gain anything from him.. They were just senior cricketers from his part of the country and hence know him reasonably well.. As I said, he mixes up stupidity with playing hard cricket sometimes and he comes across as a **** for it... And he does have issues regarding his anger but as Sanz pointed out, more often than not, he has been punished for it.


Ponting seems a little too much "holier than thou" and always seems to paint the opposition as doing something wrong when in reality they are just talking back. Now, he may honestly believe that his side didn't do wrong and the other side did, but that just makes it even more stupid on his part because sometimes it is obvious who is stirring up the trouble... And he was the least approachable amongst all the Aussie players when I had the chance to meet them...


Warne.. well cheating on your family and stuff does not endear him to me at all, although he came across as a jolly good bloke to talk to when I got the chance to talk to him...


Hayden because he seems to me like a naturally nice guy who tries WAY too hard to be seen as playing hard cricket on the field or off the field during interviews. And he has said some of the stupidest things that have come back to bite him in the rear...


Symonds.. He is just messed up... Hitting fans? WTF?


And Sreesanth... again, he tries to hard at the macho bravado stuff on the field and he just comes across as a big idiot because he doesn't seem to know where to draw the line.. Shoulder bumping Vaughan.. bowling deliberate no balls.. He is just messed up as well....


So again, I dont see how Bhajji is any worse than the guys I listed above. At least for me, they are all equal... And I am sure I m missing a few from other teams as well...

 

[Uppercut]

The thing about Warne is, there are several people i'm very good friends with that treat women in ways i wouldn't dream of. I just consider it their business, and their problem when things go wrong.

“At night I’d lie there and go, ‘****, when am I going to see my kids?’ There were times I’d sit there and drink my mini bar until three in the morning just to get to sleep. Set the alarm, wake up and say, ‘Here we go again.’ I cried a fair bit when I was by myself: ‘You dickhead, what are you doing? What have you done?”‘

I don't really see the need to hold it against him.




But that's me personally, if you guys think he's a ****e for that then it's absolutely fair. Just as it's fair for me to consider slapping team-mates and calling black men monkeys after they've told you not to exclusively for wankers.

 

[The Sean]

If we're going to argue from a greater "moral" perspective here, calling someone a monkey or saying "**** you" or being a general dick isn't quite as bad as repeatedly cheating on your wife (when you have two kids) and making it into a public embarrassment. Can't imagine what the poor woman must've gone through.

This gives me an idea - World Asshole XI:

Hayden
Slater
Ponting
Miandad
Clarke
Saleem Malik
Moin Khan
Harbhajan
Warne
Shoaib Chucktar
Waqar

Slats? I don't necessarily agree with all the others but could at least see where you might be coming from. But Slats?

 

[vic_orthdox]

I remember the incident between Slater and Dravid, but does anyone have any youtube of it? Was it definitely a bump ball, or was it a 50/50?

 

[Evermind]

Slats? I don't necessarily agree with all the others but could at least see where you might be coming from. But Slats?

Yeah, someone else mentioned that too. Couldn't find another opener though, so I went with the relative worst. Any suggestions?

 

[honestbharani]

The thing about Warne is, there are several people i'm very good friends with that treat women in ways i wouldn't dream of. I just consider it their business, and their problem when things go wrong.



I don't really see the need to hold it against him.




But that's me personally, if you guys think he's a ****e for that then it's absolutely fair. Just as it's fair for me to consider slapping team-mates and calling black men monkeys after they've told you not to exclusively for wankers.

sorry... but plz prove when Harbhajan did say that to Symonds?

 

[Uppercut]

sorry... but plz prove when Harbhajan did say that to Symonds?

No. And for the good of the world, this conversation ends here.

 

[The Sean]

Yeah, someone else mentioned that too. Couldn't find another opener though, so I went with the relative worst. Any suggestions?

Hmmm, fair point actually about openers being fairly likeable as a whole. Depends on your criteria I suppose but Herschelle Gibbs has a bit of previous for various things.

 

[archie mac]

Hmmm, fair point actually about openers being fairly likeable as a whole. Depends on your criteria I suppose but Herschelle Gibbs has a bit of previous for various things.

Gavaskar for trying to take his fellow opener off the field?

 

[silentstriker]

Yea, that was inexcusable.

So Gavaskar trying to get off the field vs. Slats blow up, which was worse? I'd go with Gavaskar, although Slat's righteous fury after grassing a catch was quite funny (I wasn't born when the Sunny incident happened). You can't try to stop the game though, that's just not right.

 

[Trumpers_Ghost]

Yea, that was inexcusable.

So Gavaskar trying to get off the field vs. Slats blow up, which was worse? I'd go with Gavaskar, although Slat's righteous fury after grassing a catch was quite funny (I wasn't born when the Sunny incident happened). You can't try to stop the game though, that's just not right.

I think both of them were generally pretty good blokes. Both behaved very poorly on the days in question. I'd have a leaning towards Gavasker as he is generally pretty negative with his media comments (bit of a stirrer) but generally pretty harmless. Slater on the other hand comes accross in his commentry as a pretty good bloke and a bit of fun (perhaps still trying to make amends for his deplorable behaoiur that day).

Iv'e got a few that I would throw in:

Geoff Boycott - From his media commentary and from what others generally say about him, he seems a total prick. I think I remember reading something about hitting a women too, although I may be confused on that one. Gives you the openner.

Javed Miandad - liked his fighting spirit and his cunning batting, but generally never liked the guy. Perhaps the most prickly personality I can think of in Cricket and a major reason for constant trouble within the Pakistan team for many a year. Makes Harbajan seem warm and cuddly. *oops just looked again and noticed he's already there.

Dennis Lillee - Nice enough bloke after he finished playing, but on the ground was half mad.

Ranatunga - another niggly type of personality. Was very cunning but you could sense a cheeky smile when he was pulling off some of his plans. Not all were very diplomatic though. He wasn't the negative influence on his team that Javed was though.

Hansie Cronje - mmm


Was a bit surprised that Clarke is mentioned, bit of a **** but only in the sense that most pro sprtsman are. Surely Peterson would rate much higher on this scale.

Also surprised at how many people really dislike Ponting, but he has had his moments I guess.

Moin Khan I'm not sure of, but I'm sure theres a story there too. Would have thought maybe Healy would have been the keeper that anoyed the most.

Oh and don't forget Deano. My absolute hero as a kid, but a guy whose personality was abrassive at best.

I don't like being this negative about cricketers, so I probably won't mention this stuff again.

cheers