Sutherland wants punishment

James Sutherland wants the BCCI to punish Harbhajan Singh

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Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has written to his Indian counterparts demanding off-spinner Harbhajan Singh be punished for his latest outburst against Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.

The Australian governing body were quick to reprimand Hayden for publicly branding Harbhajan an “obnoxious weed” earlier in the Commonwealth Bank Series and they feel the Board of Control for Cricket in India should take similar action against Harbhajan for continuing the row.

Having returned home after India’s Commonwealth Bank Series triumph, the controversial 27-year-old told Delhi newspaper Mail Today that Gilchrist was “no saint” and questioned Hayden’s credibility.

Cricket Australia had previously refrained from publicly expressing their frustrations about Harbhajan but held private discussions with the BCCI.

However, with the tour now over, Sutherland has taken a more direct approach and said in a letter: “Enough is enough. Despite assurances that you have instructed him not to fuel this issue any more, Harbhajan continues to say whatever he wants.

“When will it ever end? Could you please deal with your player in regard to these comments.

“We've tried over the summer to get the balance right in the way controversial comment has been managed and we've certainly, through our actions with Matthew Hayden, been firm with our own players in terms of where the tipping point is.”