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I never called Procter racist: Gavaskar

Agencies

Posted online: Tuesday , January 15, 2008 at 1658 hrs IST
      

Perth, January 15:: Under-fire Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Tuesday said he never called Mike Procter a racist and the word has been wrongly attributed to him in his column back home.

Gavaskar has been receiving mails and phone calls where critics have taken a shot at him on the basis of his column in which he came after Procter.

“Please do not go by the sensationalist headlines. I would ask my detractors to please read the piece carefully and tell me if I, personally, have called Mr Mike Procter a racist,” says Gavaskar.

“That is a complete lie,” he said ahead of the third Test beginning in Perth on Wednesday.

All hell broke loose since Gavaskar’s piece was published close on the heels of Procter’s verdict against Harbhajan Singh for an alleged racist remark against Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

Harbhajan, on the basis of hearsay, was banned for three Test matches.

Gavaskar in his piece has wondered why the other umpire in the Sydney Test, Mark Benson of England, was spared the rod.

“I never called Procter a racist. People who say so haven’t read the piece. It’s the headlines which have been ascribed to me,” Gavaskar said.

Former New Zealand captain John Reid said after criticising a Match Referee, Gavaskar has no business heading the ICC Cricket Committee.

South African great Barry Richards also criticised the former India captain, accusing him of playing the racism card.

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Gavaskar has nothing to defend...
by withheld on 2008-01-16 07:05:00.737383+05:30
After commenting or should I say lambasting Sunil Gavaskar on his choice of words and accounts in his autobiography Sunny Days (1984) and/or the column he wrote in the Hindustan Times recently, Gideon Haigh (a cricket historian and writer according to the site ninemsn.com.au) wrote an opinion piece on January 15, 2008 “If Gavaskar can [/] have become such an important figure in the ICC after perpetrating such passages, Harbhajan could in time represent India at the United Nations”. Should the imputation (or is it the mindset) be clearer ? There is a saying that you can cover thousand pots but impossible to cover anothers mouth. Let the dogs bark, continue like an elephant, mate...
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Racism judges
by raju on 2008-01-16 04:50:45.670626+05:30
Do Barry Richards, Reid Or Mr Fair Procter have anything to say on the points raised by Mr Raghavan on this forum . They need to properly explain or do some self introspection. A word of advice to Barry and Reid , dont hastily defend the wrongs committed by the brethern.
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Procter should have stayed neutral
by Vishal on 2008-01-15 22:35:07.224121+05:30
Procter is wrong. He was biased during 2nd test and Gavaskar was right. Procter thinks that, whatever Australian does or says is right. Barry and John should advice Procter to stay neutral not Gavaskar. Those guys wants Indians to take a blame and dont react to it.
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Mike Proctor (Mr. Fair)
by Raghavan on 2008-01-15 19:04:06.090974+05:30
Mr. Gavaskar. You know very well that nobody is allowed to call a spade a spade. You should just ask why Rashid Latif was banned by Mr. Fair (Proctor) for claiming a grounded catch when Ponting is not even cited or questioned despite all the video evidence by the same Mr. Fair.Why is Ponting staying at the crease even after getting the umpire's verdict and smashing a bat is not dissent when Yuvraj staying at the crease Melbourne was queried for dissent? I can go on and on, but these no point is stating the obvious to people who are selectively blind
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Racism
by Shkeel on 2008-01-15 18:03:30.025497+05:30
The cricket has become a dirty game, should only be watched by politicians and not by common man as now its not a game to enjoy impartially.
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