Ranking the 5 worst cricket controversies since 2000

#2 When Harbhajan Singh was accused of racial abuse

Harbhajan and Tendulkar with the umpires at Sydney in 2008

Post the match-fixing saga that hit Indian cricket in 2000, if there was one other hour which was as forgettable as that, it was the entire 'Monkeygate' scandal which hit them in the first month of 2008.

The scandal involved off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who was accused of having called Andrew Symonds a 'monkey' in a verbal altercation between the duo in the third day of the second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Sachin Tendulkar, who was at the other end when the incident occurred, recalls in his book that the off-spinner had used the Indian slang "Teri Maa Ki" and not called Symonds a 'monkey', as thought by him.

After the testimony hearing at the conclusion of the game, Harbhajan was slapped with a three-Test ban, which was not taken lightly by the team management who decided to stay put in Sydney rather than heading to Canberra, calling the decision 'unfair'.

However, at the conclusion of the fourth Test at Adelaide, Harbhajan's ban was lifted and he was instead fine 50 percent of his match fee after the racial charges against him was 'not proved'.