Hayden maybe let off with fine by CA

The Australian opening batsman had called Bhajji an "obnoxious little weed" on Brisbane radio yesterday.

Cricket Australia, which held an emergency meeting on Wednesday, to decide on the controversial comments of Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden on Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh, may let him off after a fine.

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Hayden, an active participant in the on-field bickerings that have marred India's current tour of Australia, on Tuesday launched a fresh verbal attack at Harbhajan by calling him an "obnoxious little weed" and also challenged young paceman Ishant Sharma to a boxing bout.

"It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan, the first time I ever met him, he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now," Hayden said on Brisbane radio.

Hayden said he had told Ishant to settle down and quipped he would like to meet the lanky paceman in a boxing ring.

"He is just young. I have said to him many times, you are 19, take it easy," Hayden said.

The BCCI reacted to the issue by saying that sledging was going "out of hand" and setting a bad example for young cricketers.

The Indian team management had also lodged a written complaint with the Match Referee about the provocative behaviour of the home team during their Sunday match and threatened to take a "befitting action" if Ricky Ponting and his men persisted with such behaviour.