Indian cricketer Harbhajan cleared of racial abuse charge

0 Comments | AFP, January, 2008

ADELAIDE, Australia (AFP) — Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was cleared Tuesday of racially abusing Australia's Andrew Symonds, the International Cricket Council said.

Harbhajan pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of using abusive language and was fined 50 percent of his match fee by appeals commissioner John Hansen, ICC spokesman Sami-ul-Hasan told reporters in Adelaide.

The spinner was originally handed a three-Test ban by match referee Mike Procter after being found guilty of calling Symonds, Australia's only black player, a "monkey" during the acrimonious Sydney Test earlier this month.

The ICC spokesman said Hansen, a New Zealand High court judge, was convinced Harbhajan was not guilty of a racial slur after a hearing lasting more than five hours....