Archive · 6 Jan 2026
Harbhajan-Symonds Clash Shakes World Cricket 18 Years Ago
On January 6, 2008, during a cricket match between India and Australia in Sydney, there was a big fight between two players, Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds.
Harbhajan was accused of calling Symonds a 'monkey,' which Symonds thought was a racist comment.
The match referee initially punished Harbhajan with a three-match ban, but later, after more investigations, the punishment was reduced to a fine.
Sachin Tendulkar, another Indian player, helped by saying that Harbhajan used a Hindi word that was not meant to be racist.
This whole incident caused a lot of tension between the two teams and their countries, but it was eventually resolved.
India went on to win the series, making their victory even more special.
Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds had a verbal altercation during a Test match in Sydney on January 6, 2008.
Symonds accused Harbhajan of calling him a 'monkey,' which he considered a racial slur.
Harbhajan claimed he used a Hindi term that was offensive but not racially charged.
Match referee Mike Procter initially banned Harbhajan for three matches based on testimonies from Symonds and his teammates.
The Indian team and BCCI protested, leading to a second hearing by New Zealand High Court judge John Hansen, who reduced the penalty to a 50% fine of Harbhajan's match fee.
- Who
- Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds
- What
- A verbal altercation and subsequent controversy over alleged racial slurs
- When
- January 6, 2008
- Where
- Sydney, Australia
- Why
- Harbhajan was accused of calling Symonds a 'monkey,' which Symonds considered a racial slur
- Date of Incident
- January 6, 2008
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
- Teams Involved
- India vs Australia
- Players Involved
- Harbhajan Singh, Andrew Symonds
- Initial Penalty
- Three-match ban for Harbhajan
- Final Penalty
- 50% fine of match fee
- Key Witness
- Sachin Tendulkar