Shoaib Akhtar mocks BCCI for backing Harbhajan Singh in 2008 Sydney 'Monkeygate' scandal

Relations between Indian and Pakistani cricketers seem to be at an all-time low, with both the groups being at loggerheads with each other. Recently, former cricketer Shahid Afridi made the sensational claim that the Indian team used to beg for forgiveness after they lost to Pakistan. Now, former Pakistan player Shoaib Akhtar has blamed the BCCI for the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal of 2008.

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What was the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal involving Harbhajan Singh?

The ‘Monkeygate’ scandal took place in 2008 when India toured Australia. The scandal refers to the verbal altercation between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh which took place during the 2nd test of the series at Sydney. It is alleged that Harbhajan Singh hurled a racist slur at his counterpart Symonds, calling the latter a ‘monkey’. While Harbhajan Singh was initially found guilty by match referee Mike Procter, ICC appeals commissioner Justice John Hansen later found Harbhajan Singh not guilty, with the three-match ban accorded to the player overturned as well. Sachin Tendulkar backed Harbhajan Singh's defence by claiming that the off-spinner used a Hindi abusive word in anger, which sounds like 'monkey', making it a classic case of misunderstanding due to differences in cultures and languages.

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Shoaib Akhtar revisits ‘Monkeygate’, accuses BCCI

More than 10 years after the incident, Shoaib Akhtar has made controversial statements about the incident online. Speaking to Geo Cricket on a YouTube show, Shoaib Akhtar directed his words at BCCI and even blamed them for the postponement of the T20 World Cup. On the show, Shoaib Akhtar suggested that the BCCI’s influence is too much and that this allows them to get away with most things. Referring to BCCI and the ‘Monkeygate’ scandal, Shoaib Akhtar claimed that the BCCI’s domination allows them to get easy wickets in Melbourne and save their players despite them calling someone 'monkey' while also threatening to boycott the series. 

Video Credits: youtube/geocricket

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In his rant, Shoaib Akhtar also referred to the ball-tampering incident involving the Australian cricket team in 2018. Referring to the BCCI and the Australian cricket board, Shoaib Akhtar questioned how no sounds were caught off the stump mic, while also expressing his surprise that the Australians said that no such incident happened when the BCCI threatened to call off the series.

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While concluding, Shoaib Akhtar also accused the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI of prioritising the IPL 2020 over other international competitions. The former cricketer said that the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup could have happened easily with COVID-19 precautions in place. Akhtar said that there are many reasons behind why the Asia Cup didn’t happen and that the tournament would have been a great chance for India and Pakistan to play each other. Lastly, Shoaib Akhtar said that the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI would not let IPL 2020 get damaged, even if the World Cup has to 'go to hell' for that.

Image Courtesy: instagram/imshoaibakhtar