Roy reveals what really happened in Monkeygate

In podcast...

"...but a downward spiral saw his time in the national colours come to a sad end.

The catalyst was an altercation with Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who Symonds alleged called him a “monkey” during the Sydney Test in January 2008. The allegations caused an international storm and prompted India to threaten to quit its tour of Australia but Symonds, speaking to Fox Sports and Triple M commentator Mark Howard in an episode of his podcast The Howie Games, available on PodcastOne, said it wasn’t the first time Singh crossed the line with him.

“I’d spoken to Harbhajan the (ODI) series before in India, he’d called me a monkey before in India,” Symonds told Howard.

“I went into their dressing room and said, ‘Can I speak to Harbhajan for a minute outside please?’ So he came outside and I said, ‘Look, the name calling’s got to stop or else it’s going to get out of hand. We’ve got a few names for you blokes and you’ve obviously got a few names for us and that’s all good but it’s going to end in tears so let’s knock it on the head.’

“So we shook hands and he said, ‘No problem boss, all good.’”

But that wasn’t the end of it. Come the New Year’s Test — a spiteful affair the Aussies won in dramatic fashion late on day five, which prompted then-captain Anil Kumble to declare only one team was playing in the right spirit — Singh was back at it.

Brett Lee was bowling short and fast at the Indian tweaker, Symonds revealing the hosts were “trying to take him out” by breaking fingers or ribs so he wouldn’t be a threat on a wearing wicket late in the match.

But Singh saw the funny side, tapping Lee on the backside with his bat at one point during his innings.

“I said, ‘Listen here d***head, we’re not out here to make friends, you’re about to get hurt here,’” Symonds said. “And he started going, ‘You’re nothing but a monkey.’

“He said it probably two or three times. From that moment on that was my downhill slide.” "

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As was suspected at the time, far too much weigh was put in SRT's recall of the events over Roy's, MtFTB's, Gilly's and Pup's testimonies at the following ICC hearing.

The outcome seems to have robbed us of the 2nd half of what should have been Roy's glittering career.

And this from the same article...

"After a stint with the Deccan Chargers he became Singh’s teammate at the Mumbai Indians, where he discovered the two were actually quite similar. While it was frosty at first, an emotional apology from the finger spinner at a team BBQ a few games into the season was the catalyst for the two becoming good friends.

“When I got to Mumbai it was icy, when I walked in there the first time,” Symonds said.

“We’d had a few drinks and Harbhajan came over to me. He said, ‘Boss can I talk to you for a minute?’

“He said, ‘I really want to apologise for what I did and what I said, I hope it hasn’t harmed you or your family too badly,’ and he broke down.

“I could just see the weight lift off his shoulders when he got that off his chest.” "

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I imagine our Bannie friends will claim it's all lies from Roy.

skully wrote:And this from the same article...

"After a stint with the Deccan Chargers he became Singh’s teammate at the Mumbai Indians, where he discovered the two were actually quite similar. While it was frosty at first, an emotional apology from the finger spinner at a team BBQ a few games into the season was the catalyst for the two becoming good friends.

“When I got to Mumbai it was icy, when I walked in there the first time,” Symonds said.

“We’d had a few drinks and Harbhajan came over to me. He said, ‘Boss can I talk to you for a minute?’

“He said, ‘I really want to apologise for what I did and what I said, I hope it hasn’t harmed you or your family too badly,’ and he broke down.

“I could just see the weight lift off his shoulders when he got that off his chest.” "

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I imagine our Bannie friends will claim it's all lies from Roy.

Karti, "I have done the equations and the charts calculating the shades of the Turdanator's headgear. The issue of the equations and their proof are indisputable. H Singh is entirely blameless. India win." Karti

Symonds truly was elite honesty, elite mateship, and elite humility rolled in one.

The nerve of that Kiwi judge to not take Australians' word on their face value as if they were capable of anything less than elite honesty.

SRT <<< Honesty.

“I said, ‘Listen here d***head, we’re not out here to make friends, you’re about to get hurt here,’” Symonds said. “And he started going, ‘You’re nothing but a monkey.’

Spanky was right. The deterioration in the culture of Australian cricket began long before Warner came onto the scene and the CA board started seeing the players as commodities.
Another classic example of the Aussies setting where “the line” is as well.
Symonds- “you f*cking dickhead c*unt Harbhajan!

Harbhajan- “monkey”

Symonds- “you’ve crossed the f*cking line with your words, c*unt!”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-12/spencer-lenius-nrl-slur-the-racist-history-of-the-term-monkey/103577574

Gosh this brings back some memories.

RIP Roy.