Melbourne: Former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan on Wednesday labelled Harbhajan Singh a menace on the field and called for a life ban on the temperamental off-spinner for slapping India team mate S Sreesanth.
"This fellow (Harbhajan) doesn't belong to the game of cricket. He has shown he is no good. They should just get rid of him from the sport," The Courier Mail quoted Rowan as saying.
"I don't know what other sport would want him, though," he added sarcastically.
Rowan, who stood in 25 Tests between 1963 and 1971, said Harbhajan comes across as a rogue player in whatever he has seen of the Indian tweaker's on-field behaviour.
The Australian felt the 11-match ban imposed on him by the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a light punishment and his actions deserved a stricter sentence.
"I certainly don't think he would have been allowed to get away with what he has been allowed to get away with in any other sport. They should just get rid of him and move on," he said.
After being banned from the IPL, Harbhajan is now awaiting the verdict from a separate disciplinary inquiry to be conducted by the BCCI.
The temperamental bowler has already given his reply to the Board's show cause notice and has apologised for his conduct.
However, his penchant for landing in disciplinary trouble with alarming frequency has not gone down too well with the Board, which backed him to the hilt during the racism row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a couple of months ago.
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