Bhajji suspended, may sit out for 10 matches

IN HOT SOUP: Kings XI Punjab management lodged a complaint against Harbhajan Singh after he slapped S Sreesanth.

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New Delhi: Controversial spinner Harbhajan Singh has been temporarily suspended from the Indian Premier League tournament for allegedly slapping pacer S Sreesanth after a match on Friday.

Harbhajan, leading the Mumbai Indians side in the absence of Sachin Tendulkar, allegedly slapped Kings XI pacer Sreesanth on Friday night moments after his team Mumbai Indians slumped to their third defeat in a row.

BCCI Vice President and IPL commissioner Lalit Modi told CNN-IBN Harbhajan maybe banned for 10 IPL Twenty20 matches if he is “unable to prove himself innocent”.

"There was definitely a point of provocation, but he (Harbhajan) was apologetic to Sreesanth afterwards. The issue is largely that this incident has taken place and we have to make sure that it doesn't happen again," Modi said. The minimum punishment if Harbhajan is found guilty is a 10-match ban and maximum is life ban according to Rule No. 4 of the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct.

"Based on prima facie video evidence as seen and reviewed by the match adjudicator and referee Farokh Engineer from the tapes provided by Sony & TWI, a decision has been reached to suspend with immediate effect Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians pending the inquiry into the incident on Monday," Modi said in a statement.

"The inquiry into the incident at Mohali in the game between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians will now take place in Delhi on April 28. A final verdict would be announced by Farokh Engineer after the hearing," he said.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sharad Pawar told CNN-IBN the board would not be a “silent spectator to such incidents” and asked Indian players to “honour basic discipline”.

“If any player has misbehaved then they have to face music,” said Pawar. The BCCI has asked Harbhajan to file an explanation by Monday evening

Harbhajan and Sreesanth have downplayed the spat later, but the Kings XI Punjab management lodged a complaint against the off-spinner. "Harbhajan is like an elder brother to me. He came and spoke to me and there are no issues. I play my game with a lot of passion. Whatever happened was between us. He apologised to me and it was sorted out," Sreesanth said.

Asked to elaborate on what exactly happened, Sreesanth said, "It was just a shake hand in the wrong place."

Kings XI Punjab termed Harbhajan's behaviour as "unacceptable and against the spirit of the game".

Harbhajan denies slaping Sreesanth. "I didn't slap Sreesanth. The media is blowing the issue out of proportion," he said.

"Everything has been sorted out between us. He is like a younger brother to me and I have spoken to him after the match was over last night," Harbhajan said.

(With inputs from IANS)