Kumble slams Ponting for questioning Tendulkar over ‘Monkeygate’ scandal

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble on Friday dismissed Ricky Ponting’s jibe over Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, where the former Australian captain questioned Tendulkar`s role in the ‘Monkeygate scandal’, claiming that he was taken aback by the senior Indian batsman`s statement which saved Harbhajan Singh. In his memoirs -- titled `The Close of Play` -- Ponting said he didn`t understand why Tendulkar vouched for Harbhajan during the appeal hearing but did not say anything when match referee Mike Procter initially suspended the spinner for passing allegedly racial comments at all-rounder Andrew Symonds. "I couldn`t understand why Sachin didn`t tell this to (match referee) Mike Procter in the first place," Ponting, captain of Australia at that time, wrote on the role of Tendulkar, who would retire from the game after his 200th Test next month. Most of the Indian media is also taking it as publicity stunt from Ponting’s end to sell his book -- The Close of Play. Many cricketers in the past have written something controversial in their autobiographies to attract more readers. With PTI inputs