Rising

Matthew Hayden has been charged with a breach of the Cricket Australia code of conduct after describing Harbhajan Singh as "an obnoxious little weed".

Hayden was due to appear before a Cricket Australia hearing beginning at 8pm (9am GMT) in Melbourne.

According to a statement from Cricket Australia, he was charged under rules which prohibit "public denigration of other players against whom they have or will play".

Hayden exchanged words with Harbhajan during Sunday's Commonwealth Bank Series match at the SCG - just one of a number of spats which have blighted India's tour of Australia.

And the Australia batsman said on Brisbane radio after the game: "It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan. The first time I ever met him he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now.

"His record speaks for itself in cricket. There is a certain line that you can kind of go to and then you know where you push it and he just pushes it all the time.

"That's why he has been charged more than anyone that's ever played in the history of cricket."

Harbhajan, meanwhile, believes Australia are resorting to sledging because they know they are no longer the kings of international cricket.

Ishant Sharma and Andrew Symonds also clashed in Sydney and the India youngster was later fined 15% of his match fee for pointing Symonds towards the dressing room after bowling the all-rounder.

But the India team management believe the 19-year-old paceman was provoked and wrote to match referee Jeff Crowe asking him to look into the behaviour of the Australia players.

Harbhajan told TV station Times Now: "The Aussies maybe they realize that they are no more the undisputed champs, otherwise why would a cricket veteran target a 19-year-old?

"We have been the ones who got the Aussies on the run this summer."

The off-spinner, who was charged but later cleared of racially abusing Symonds in the second Test, has also hit back at Hayden.

"Speak to the players to know what opinion they have of Mathew Hayden. I don't want it to be a slanging match though," he added.

"The Aussies keep their back to you whenever they say something nasty. They are very good at sledging."

__________________
please join the forum and post

Rajah

As funny as that was you can't go around saying that about opposition players.

__________________

robostar24

Hehe, what is cricket coming too? Should be a cracking finals series.

__________________

Rising

i think its bad image on hayden but this controversies doesn't seem to die down in the series

__________________
please join the forum and post