The big controversial “Monkeygate” incident happened almost 11 years ago during the Sydney Test between Australia and India in January 2008. Recently, the former Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds revealed that the Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh apologised to him for that incident at later.
While that entire Test match was covered with numerous controversies, the “Monkeygate” incident was one of the top incidents in that game. The Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was accused of calling Symonds “monkey”.
Later, in 2011, both were teammates in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as both played for Mumbai Indians. Recently, Symonds revealed that during the IPL 2011, emotional Harbhajan took apologise to him for that incident. The Aussie all-rounder further added that he gave him a hug and consoled him.
Talking about that incident, Symonds told in Fox Cricket documentary, named Monkeygate — Ten Years On, “We go to a very wealthy man’s place for a barbecue, drinks and dinner one night and the whole team’s there and he had guests there, and Harbhajan said ‘mate, can I speak to you for a minute out in the garden out the front’.
“He goes, ‘look, I’ve got to say sorry to you for what I did to you in Sydney. I apologise, I hope I didn’t cause you, your family, your friends too much harm and I really apologise for what I said, I shouldn’t have said it’.
“And he actually broke down crying, and I could just see that was a huge weight off his shoulders, he had to get rid of it. We shook hands and I gave him a hug and said: ‘Mate, it’s all good. It’s dealt with’.”
The 43-year-old Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds further added that it affected his cricketing career hugely. In his 11-year international career, Symonds played 238 international matches (26 Tests, 198 ODIs and 14 T20Is) while he played 29 international matches (9 Tests, 18 ODIs and 2 T20Is) after the “Monkeygate” incident.
Also read: Andrew Symonds Became A Drunkard Due To Monkeygate?
Talking about the turn of his cricketing career after that “Monkeygate” incident, Symonds said, “I suppose this would be the moment where my whole persona to cricket changed. I didn’t realise the politics, the power, the money until this moment in my career.”
“I didn’t realise how powerful one player, one incident, how much money was at stake and the ramifications. I started drinking way too much and my cricket, my mindset — I started to go downhill, I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind.”
