'Forget and move forward', says Harbhajan on Head-Siraj send-off

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh has urged the cricketing fraternity to move on from the Travis Head-Mohammed Siraj incident that sparked controversy during the pink-ball Test in Adelaide. The row, which unfolded on Day 2, saw Siraj deliver a fiery send-off to Head after dismissing him for a well-crafted 140 in Australia’s first innings. The incident led to boos from the crowd and on-field tension that lingered into the match. While both players appeared to reconcile during India's second-innings batting stint, the ICC stepped in with sanctions on Monday. Siraj was fined 20 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC’s Code of Conduct. Head too was sanctioned for breaching Article 2.13 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to the “abuse of a player, player support personnel, umpire or match referee during an international match.” Siraj and Head received one demerit point each on their disciplinary records, marking their first offence within the last 24 months. Harbhajan Singh called the ICC's decision overly strict but hoped this would put an end to the controversy. The former spinner expressed his view that such confrontations are part of the game. However, he emphasised the importance of moving forward and concentrating on the upcoming Test at the Gabba.

"Well, I think ICC is a bit too strict on players. These things happen in the ground. Obviously, forget what has happened and move forward. The players have patched up and talked to each other. Anyways, ICC being ICC has sanctioned the players. Let's put that aside now and let's move forward which is obviously, Brisbane. Let's focus on cricket rather than all these controversies. Enough is enough," Harbhajan told Star Sports. Fellow Indian spinner Piyush Chawla also weighed in on the matter, sharing similar sentiments. While he acknowledged that emotions will likely run high again in the next Test, he stressed that the Head-Siraj incident should be left behind in Adelaide. "You can't really say who was wrong or right here," said Chawla. "What I feel is that this should be the end of this matter. There’s no need to carry it forward to the next match or the fourth Test. Let’s focus on cricket. Things will definitely heat up again in Brisbane, but what happened here should stay here."With the third Test scheduled to begin on December 14 in Brisbane, the stage is set for another heated contest. India will be looking to bounce back after a tough loss in Adelaide, while Australia will aim to build on their momentum.