‘Weed’ was way over the top, says Hayden

Australian opener Matthew Hayden has admitted being "insensitive" in making the ‘obnoxious little weed’ remark against Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh but said it was not against the spirit of cricket and did not warrant a reprimand.

"I can see that my comments were insensitive but they were not intended to be denigrating and especially not contrary to the spirit of cricket," Hayden said.

"The cricket environment I have grown up with is probably a little bit different from today," the 37-year-old cricketer was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

Hayden expressed anguish at being reprimanded by Cricket Australia for his behaviour.

"It saddens me that my employer has to discipline me for my behaviour," Hayden said.

Hayden, in an interview to Brisbane radio, had called Harbhajan an "obnoxious little weed" and also invited young paceman Ishant Sharma "into a ring" for a boxing bout.

Cricket Australia’s rules do not allow its contracted players to make comments against opponent players or the Board and hence charged Hayden with breach of its code of behaviour, although let off with only a reprimand

Austrlaian skipper Ricky Ponting also felt Hayden’s remark about Harbhajan was "pretty flippant" to cause such a furore.

"It was a pretty flippant remark but you have to understand what you can and can’t do. I know that Haydos, when he said that, he wouldn’t have thought in his wildest dreams that it could have escalated into what it has," he said.(PTI)

News Source : Samachar