02 March,2010 07:36 AM IST | | Ashwin Ferro
Striker Shivendra Singh says Australian tournament director Read's decision to suspend him has turned India's gameplan for today's crucial game against Kookaburras on its head
India striker Shivendra Singh is hopping mad after being slapped with a three-match ban by International Hockey Federation (FIH) tournament director Ken Read for deliberately hitting a Pakistani player during Sunday's World Cup match against Pakistan.
Shivendra will miss India's key group B matches against Australia, Spain and England, but will be available for the last game against South Africa.
Shivendra spoke to MiD DAY hours after hearing the news that could well spell doom for India in the ongoing quadrennial event.
Excerpts:
On the ban...
I'm totally shocked at FIH's decision. It's very harsh and unfair. I have played 115 internationals for India and have received only one card a yellow against England in the Beijing Olympic qualifiers in Santiago, Chile. This only proves that it's not in my nature to play rough.
On the Indian team's reaction...
The team is very angry with what has happened. They cannot believe that such a harsh punishment can be meted out to someone like me and that too for something that was absolutely unintentional. They believe the entire match was incident free and can't understand where has this incident come out from. Also, we were winning the game quite comfortably right through so there was absolutely no need for any intense play. Some of my friends and well wishers who called in feel that since the tournament director (Ken Read) is an Australian he may have done it to weaken our team in the game against Australia.
On the incident in question...
I was running in front and the Pakistan player Fareed Ahmed was behind me so there's no way I could have seen him. There was a tackle and the umpire blew for something, so I immediately turned away to move off for the counter attack. I simply raised my stick as that would have helped me get off the blocks quickly for the short sprint and this is when my stick hit Fareed near the eye and he suffered a cut. Not only was it unintentional but for a second I didn't even know that my stick had hit him.
On the repercussions of his absence on the team...
I played a good first game (scoring the opener in the 4-1 win over Pakistan). My absence will change the whole balance of the forwardline. Gurvinder Chandi who is a relatively inexperienced player will now have to spend longer periods on the field while more responsibility will now fall on the midfield who won't be able to attack in full flow. Australia are a good team.
On his expectations from the appeal...
I believe that FIH can only reduce the suspension from three matches to may be two or one but they cannot completely revoke the ban. So I will have to sit out of today's Australia match in any case. However, I've heard that Hockey India are trying to convince FIH and I'm hoping for the best. My fingers are crossed.
