'Monkey' Knocked Off Singh's Back

The media has dubbed it the "race row." Original use of alliteration. But it is over, as everyone on the Australian and Indian sides say. They want to just get on with it.

And get on with it they will tomorrow when the sides meet for the much-anticipated Twenty20 match at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) in, well, Melbourne. Andrew Symonds is in the lineup for Australia. Harbhajan Singh for India. And the attendees have been warned that officials will not tolerate any bad behavior. On the ABC this morning, I heard that some are calling for a "turn-your-back-on-Singh" protest. It should be an interesting match.

But unfortunately, it comes just a few days after Symonds was humiliated by the New Zealand judge appointed to rule in Singh's appeal of the three-match ban leveled against him when the monkey business started. And rule he did, though not without some drama.

He overturned the three-match ban and instead charged Singh half of his pay for the Sydney test match, which is $3,000 or so. In addition, he essentially blamed Symonds for all of this. But then, after the ruling, the judge found out about Singh's other infractions on the oval. And, well, the judge said he wished he had known.

Oh well, the oldies are saying on this side of the world. Have better manners, don't let this happen again, and just play cricket. Very strange.