March 11, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 2, 1429

MUMBAI, March 10: The Indian cricket board has gagged spinner Harbhajan Singh from speaking to the media, following complaints from Cricket Australia over his alleged remarks about Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) confirmed receiving a letter from CA regarding the same.

“We have asked him not to speak to the media,” Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said. “It’s time to move on. We don’t want any more controversy.”

CA took objection to Harbhajan’s recent outburst, when he allegedly labelled the Australian team “arrogant”, called Hayden a “big liar” and said Gilchrist was “not a saint”.

There are also reports in the Australian media that the ICC has taken cognizance of Harbhajan’s remarks, which he later denied saying.

Harbhajan was largely booed by the crowds after the Andrew Symonds episode in the Sydney Test.

During the first final of the triangular series in Sydney, a few spectators alleged Harbhajan gestured and spat at them but Jeff Crowe, the match referee, viewed the evidence and felt there was no need to take action against him.—Agencies