It looks like Matthew Hayden could be in trouble - Cricket Australia is believed to have taken a strong view of the Aussie cricketer's latest tirade agaisnt Harbhajan Singh where he called Bhajji "an obnoxious little weed" in a radio interview.

Hayden's remarks have not gone down well with the board - in fact all the biggies from cricket Australia met today (February 27) in melbourne to decide on whether action would be taken agaisnt the Aussie batsmen. The board does not want to escalate tensions between the two teams and is keen to avert any backlash following Hayden's comments.

CA's decision notwithstanding, Team India is apparently unconcerned about the comment or the action against Matthew Hayden. Team manager Vimal Soni told to media, "It's a personal comment and reflects Mr Hayden's own views. The Indian team is not bothered about it. We are here to play cricket and will continue to play cricket. As far as we concerned, Hayden's comments only confirm what we have written to the Match Referee, about his attitude on the grounds. There will be no complaints now from our side, it's their (CA's) internal matter."

Soni added that the Indian team was "playing in the spirit of the game" and that the comments had not created any tension in the players.

BCCI: Remark uncalled for

Speaking exclusively to TIMES NOW -a private news channel in india, BCCI Vice President Rajiv Shukla has said that Hayden's verbal attack was totally uncalled for, but that the Indian cricket board would not take any action unless the team management took note of the issue. He also urged Harbhajan to show restraint and not react to the comments.

"Mr Hayden's outburst is completely uncalled for. He's a senior player of world cricket, he should not react in this manner and should not use such language. But still, I would request the Indian players particularly Mr Harbhajan Singh to be magnanimous and not to go for a slanging match with Mr Hayden - because this shows Mr Hayden in poor light, not Mr Harbhajan Singh. The team management should take a view on it, we are waiting for the team management's reaction and only after the BCCI should react," said Shukla.

The Hayden interview has drawn indignant comments from the Indian cricket fraternity. Former Indian Test cricketer Atul Wassan has slammed the Aussies saying they just knew how to dish it out, but couldn't tolerate the fact that the Indians were giving it back.

"Coming from Matthew Hayden and from an Aussie it is like the pot calling the kettle black. I think if Harbhajan is obnoxious, Aussies are the champions of being obnoxious. They have been, for the last 50-60 years but the difference is that most of the teams were putting up with their attitude and crassness earlier - but now they cannot tolerate it that one team is giving it back to them," said Wassan.

Cricket historian Boria Mazumdar today rubbished the stand that Hayden was just expressing his "personal views", and said the BCCI should take strong action exception to the Aussie's remarks.

"It is absolutely unacceptable, I think if this is how international cricket will be played we had better stop it. Sportsmanship needs to be defined on the field with perhaps a hard game, but this is below the belt and obnoxious behaviour. The BCCI should take a strong step, I hope CA slams Hayden and demands an unconditional apology on the same radio station where he spoke. This is serious as it could contribute to worsening cricket relations between the two countries... What is personal? I may go and slap Sachin Tendulkar and call it my personal view. When somebody is stepping on your toes if you keep quiet, they will take it as a sign of weakness," said Mazumdar.

Roebuck: It's a bit rude

Meanwhile senior cricket writer Peter Roebuck also felt Hayden's jibe at Harbhajan was very rude and wondered why he chose to make such statements in the public domain.

"Well they were a bit rude, the young man (Harbhajan) is a guest in this country and ought to be treated with hospitality... I think they (Australian players) are pretty fed up with Harbhajan particularly. I am not sure why Hayden felt the need to say that publicly. I don't know about mind games, I think they just speak their minds on occassion. A lot of Australians feel two things: firstly that their own team is too aggressive at times, but secondly also that India sometimes has followed the same path this summer, in reaction to the Australians. I think both sides should shut up and concentrate on the cricket, that's my point," commented Roebuck.

The interview

On Tuesday the Australians took the mind games in the current tri-series to a new level with Harbhajan Singh coming under a fresh attack from opener Matthew Hayden.

Hayden's remark calling the Indian off-spinner an "obnoxious little weed", has the potential to create more bad blood between the two teams. Here is a transcript of the radio interview that Hayden gave to a Brisbane radio station:

Radio host 1: Have you read the paper, the Indians are back into you blokes about being bullies?

Hayden: That's because they're losing every game they are playing out here at this stage.

Host 1: ... and because they've had a guy docked 15% of his match fee and they've got a wicket keeper...

Host 2 (cuts in) Why don't they just shut up and play cricket?

Hayden: There you go, that's the most logical thing I have ever heard this summer

Host 1: Were you charging Harbhajan Singh the other day and calling him 'mad boy' as you were batting?

Hayden: No, 'bad boy'. 'You bad boy'.

Host 1: That's offensive apparently in India? Hayden: He took offence to that, I thought that was quite funny. I said mate you should be flattered it's a clothing range.

(Everyone laughs)

Host 2: We need to get to the root of the problem and see why they are all so sensitive? What's going on in their lives.

Hayden: I think it's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan. The first time I ever met he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now, so... (more general laughter)

Host 1: That's what you got about him from every person who's had a dealing with him?

Hayden: The thing is, his record speaks for itself in cricket. It's a certain line that you can go to and you know when you push it - and he just pushes it all the time. That is why he's been charged more than anyone that has ever played in the history of cricket.

Host 1: Does (Ishant) Sharma come from the same school as Bhajji?

Hayden: Well I think he's just young and as I have said to him many times, mate you're 19, just take it easy. He says, but "I'm playing for my country" (mimics Indian accent). Well we're all playing for our country but at the end of the day you're just 19, what about if you just worry about your bowling for a while. I actually like the idea of getting him in a ring. I like that, let's bring that one on!

Rodney: Indians quit whining

Hayden is not the only one taking on the Indians, former Australian Bowler Rodney Hogg too has asked India to stop 'whinging' and just play the game.

Rodney says that in international sport players will try and unsettle their opponents and that only Asian referees should be appointed for India's matches as Indians feel they are not being listened to if a Match Referee is a Non-Asian.

"I've really had a gutful of their whinging, this is international sport, obviously people are going to say things to try to unsettle you, I reckon they should appoint an Asian referee for Indian games because when it's a non-Asian referee they never feel as if they are being listened to," Rodney said.

Newspaper coverage

The Daily Telegraph says that Matthew Hayden's labelling Harbhajan Singh and asking India to stop whining has erupted cricket's hostile summer again. It writes:

Obnoxious weed: Hayden lets fly

MATTHEW Hayden labelled Harbhajan Singh an "obnoxious little weed" yesterday and India were told to shut up and stop whingeing as cricket's hostile summer erupted again.

The Herald Sun takes a step further and says Hayden has launched a 'weed spray' on the Turbanator after the duo locked horns at the now infamous Sydney Cricket Ground.

Matthew Hayden launches 'weed' spray of Harbhajan Singh

MATTHEW Hayden yesterday labelled Harbhajan Singh an "obnoxious little weed" as India was told to stop whingeing. Hayden and Harbhajan locked horns at the SCG on Sunday, with Hayden yesterday claiming he had called the controversial Indian a "bad boy" rather than a "mad boy".

Meanwhile the Sydney Morning Herald has said that Australian opener Mathew Hayden has ensured that there's a spicy finale to the already hot summer of cricket after calling Bhajji a "obnoxious little weed":

Hayden labels Harbhajan 'obnoxious'

Australian opener Matthew Hayden has ensured a spicy finale to a fiery summer of cricket by describing Indian combatant Harbhajan Singh as an "obnoxious little weed". "His record speaks for itself in cricket. There is a certain line that you can kind of go to and then you know where you push it and he just pushes it all the time."