MUMBAI, Oct 25: In an exclusive column for a leading Indian newspaper on Saturday, Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Gilchrist clarified his stand on his allegedly provocative remarks against Indian batting maestro, Sachin Tendulkar.

“There were headlines around the cricketing globe on Friday suggesting that I had accused Indian batting great Sachin Tendulkar of being a bad sport and also that he had lied when giving evidence in the Harbhajan Singh racial vilification hearing earlier this year,” wrote Gilchrist.

“Neither of these accusations is true and I felt strongly enough on this to immediately ring Sachin once it was brought to my attention, to explain to him.

“I am pleased to say that at the conclusion of our chat the same respect Sachin and I have always had for each other continues to exist. The headlines arose from the manner in which some journalists interpreted a couple of points I have made in an about-to-be released autobiography.

“In the book, I mention that a cultural difference between our team and that of the Indians was the importance of shaking hands with the opposition after a loss. It’s simply my thoughts and from my experiences it seemed that this routine wasn’t as important to some oppositions as it was in Australia, where it is drilled into us from an early age.”

He continued: “I made the comment that Sachin and Harbhajan were sometimes not around to shake hands. Whether that is right or wrong is not my point. It was more the cultural differences I was trying to highlight, which it’s fair to say, have been integral in most disputes or flare-ups between these two proud nations in the past.

“Nowhere do I accuse Sachin of being a bad sport. With respect to the Harbhajan hearing, I obviously had to address it in the book as it was such a huge issue last summer and too big to ignore. That said, my only real reference to it was to recall the way the events unfolded from the initial hearing, the night the match finished, through to the final judicial hearing a few weeks later.

“I also feel that people who know me, or people who read the book in its entirety, will know only too well the sincere affection I have for India as a country and the very friendly, passionate people that live here,” Gilchrist said.—Agencies