Monday Musings: It’s the ‘money’ honey

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By Amitabh Srivastava, Copy Edited By Adam Rizvi, The India Observer, TIO: I am deliberately submitting this column before the result of the India Pakistan cricket match in the Champions Trophy 2025 is out. And there is a reason for this.

I was much amused by an interview of a ex-Pakistan cricketer who was asked why an India Pakistan cricket match does not lead to the breaking of TV sets and sledging between players on the field as in the good old days.

 It was as if the journalist was missing on those days. The answer was a sort of anticlimax. He said that the ICC is now very strict on issues of discipline nowadays and players involved in disrespect would be penalized monetarily and the country they represent could ultimately suffer.

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It’s not just an India Pakistan match that involved sledging and over reaction. Can we forget how Australia was once considered the biggest bully as far as sledging and terrorizing the opponents was considered. Although they were born to win and everyone other species that tried to challenge them was meant to be subjugated to abuse and physical intimidation by their bowlers.

Their supporters too encouraged their players by hooting and making life difficult for the opposition as if they were not playing cricket, known as a “gentlemen’s game” but a cock fight where their owners encouraged their pets to kill the other cock. Ultimately it was left to an MS Dhoni led team to beat the Australians at their own game in 2008.

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That’s a vivid recount of one of cricket’s most controversial moments—the infamous Monkeygate incident during the Australia tour. During that series, Harbhajan Singh was accused of calling Andrew Symonds a “monkey,” a charge that sparked an ICC hearing. Harbhajan maintained that his words were misinterpreted and that he had actually used a Punjabi insult (“Teri Ma Ki”) rather than a racial slur. The situation was further inflamed by the intense rivalry on the field, with figures like Ricky Ponting (often nicknamed the “Lord of Bullies” for his aggressive captaincy) at the forefront. In the midst of the controversy, Sachin Tendulkar’s staunch support for Harbhajan became a crucial factor that influenced public perception and ultimately tilted the judgment in favor of India.

This incident remains a memorable—and often debated—episode in cricket history, encapsulating the high stakes of international rivalry, the complexities of language and cultural context, and the impact of leadership and camaraderie on and off the field.

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However, 10 years later when both Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds were bought over in an ‘auction’ by the Indian Premier League Harbhajan and Symonds shook hands and “All is well”.

The India Pak cricketing saga similarly should be seen as a commercial venture rather than a sentimental war as in ancient times. Yes, the loud mouth politicians of both India and Pakistan did ensure that both the teams had to travel to a neutral venue Dubai to playout their blockbuster for the Champions Trophy which Pakistan is hosting.

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If wiser sense had prevailed the two traditional cricketing rivals in the Asian sub continent would have collaborated to mint money by playing more matches rather than allow the western countries to make them spend colossal amount of money on buying arms by promoting their political rivalry.

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Curated and Compiled by Humra Kidwai

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