Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj and Australia's in-form batter Travis Head were involved in a heated exchange following the latter's wicket on Day 2 of the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Ova. Head wasn't pleased with Siraj's animated celebration and said a few words before walking off the ground. The exchange led to controversy as Head told the broadcasters and the media that Siraj shouldn't have done that. Before Day 3's play, Siraj had his say on the incident and said that Head lied in the press conference.
After hearing Siraj's side of the story, former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh made a cheeky remark as the Indian pacer was appointed deputy superintendent of police (DSP) in Telangana earlier this year. There have been several memes on social media about the incident as well where Siraj's photo as DSP has been used.
"DSP ke balle se thode run aa jaye. DSP sahab, jab ye dobara Hyderabad aaye na to isko zara giraftar kar lena. Khelne to ayega na waha pe. Ye to mazak ki baat thi but I wish you guys all the best. Travis Head ko is baar pehli ball pe, danda. (I hope Siraj scores some runs. DSP sir, the next time he (Head) comes to Hyderabad, arrest him. He will come to play there anwyay (during IPL). I am just kidding but wish you guys all the best. This time, knock over Travis Head's stump on first ball," Harbhajan said on Star Sports as he enjoyed a laught with Siraj.
Head plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has been retained by SRH for Rs 14 crore.
Siraj says cricket is a gentleman's game
Earlier, Siraj said that he did not disrespect Head and it was just part of his celebration. He pointed out that he still considers cricket as a gentleman's game.
"I enjoyed bowling a lot here. They were batting really well and when they hit the good balls for boundaries, you can’t help. Whatever you saw on TV, i didn’t say anything in disrespect. It was just part of my celebration," the 30-year-old said.
"Whatever he said in press conference, it wasn’t true. He never said “well bowled”. We respect each other and cricket is a gentleman’s game. I didn’t feel right to me (Head's comments in the media)," he added.
