Prime witnesses to one of the biggest controversies that rocked cricket during the second Test between India and Australia in the 2007-08 series
Symonds watches Harbhajan bowl in the second Test at Sydney in 2008. Pic/Getty Images
Kolkata: Prime witnesses to one of the biggest controversies that rocked cricket during the second Test between India and Australia in the 2007-08 series, Sourav Ganguly and Michael Clarke yesterday made no bones while speaking about the 'Monkeygate' scandal with the latter going to say that Andrew Symonds should not have blown the issue out of proportion.
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The furore had begun with some questionable umpiring decisions and later blew up into a racism controversy between Harbhajan Singh and Symonds which threatened to negatively affect relations between the two countries. The incident is now considered one of the biggest face-offs since the bodyline days.
"I can guarantee you, the 'Monkeygate' chapter will not have its true picture in the book," Ganguly said talking about Clarke's autobiography "My Story" which he launched here yesterday. "Because only a 'Sardarji' will know what Harbhajan tried to tell Symonds. You can call it 'Monkeygate', you can call it 'Hanumangate' and whatever gate you want. I was standing next to Harbhajan Singh and I know exactly what he meant," Ganguly said.
On that Clarke compared the recent DRS controversy involving Australian skipper Steve Smith and how it was amicably solved to the 'Monkeygate' chapter, stressing that Symonds went into overdrive with his reactions.
"I was very close to Andrew (Symonds) at the time. I asked him if he was racially vilified. It wasn't about being racially abused for Andrew but a lot of other things. Now it's not the right time to discuss those things. But I didn't think he (Symonds) should have continued with that (incident). It should have ended right there," Clarke said.
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