This is what the IPL 4 Has Done - Andrew Symonds, Sachin Tendulkar Share a Warm Hug

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Sreelata YellamrazuMay 4 2011

Before one jumps to conclusion - depending on the degree of the perverse mind - it may be recalled that the two cricketers were at the centre of a storm called Sydney-gate and are now sharing the same dressing room space as team mates.

andrew symonds sachin tendulkar hug

The infamous Sydney Test of 2008, also know for its monkey-gate scandal polarized players from India and Pakistan. Amongst those directly involved in the spat included Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds with the support cast consisting of the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Matthew Hayden and Michael Clarke.

However, fast forward to 2011 and the Mumbai Indians team in the IPL 4 season sees Sachin Tendulkar as the Mumbai Indians captain under whom Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds are playing as a team.

When the IPL was first conceived, this was one of the selling points, even if the actual agenda may have only been primarily about the commercial exploitation of the sport in general and Twenty20 in particular. With international cricketers sharing the same dressing room, there were more apprehensions about knowledge sharing than there were about combats and bust ups over personal issues.

So, when Andrew Symonds joined the Mumbai Indians for the IPL 4, there was a great deal of speculation of how Bhajji and Symmo would work together. However, it seems that for the sake of a few millions, some egos may have been laid to rest. Besides, three years' time would have perhaps meant enough healing time for some.

There is no doubt that despite the horrors of Sydney gate, Sachin Tendulkar has been generous in his opinion of Andrew Symonds' talent even if the latter had other issues following that Sydney episode that led to his fallout with the Australian cricket administration, leaving him enjoying the role of a freelance Twenty20 cricketer.

Perhaps the bigger worry would have been had Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh shared a dressing room following that slap gate scandal of IPL 2008!

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