Hayden labels Harbhajan an 'obnoxious weed'


Outspoken Australian batsman Matthew Hayden has inflamed tensions with the Indian team by calling off-spinner Harbhajan Singh an "obnoxious weed."

Hayden made the statement on Brisbane radio on Tuesday, after the lingering ill feeling between the sides surfaced again in Sunday's tri-series one-dayer at the SCG.

Hayden's latest comments will add spice to the tri-series finals between the sides, starting on Sunday at the SCG.

"It's been a bit of a long battle with Harbhajan," Hayden said on radio.

"The first time I ever met him he was the same little obnoxious weed that he is now.

"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.

"That's why he has been charged more than anyone that's ever played in the history of cricket."

Hayden was one of the players the Indians accused of provocative behaviour in Sunday's game.

The big left-hander is fiercely religious, but despite this is also regarded as one of the biggest sledgers in the game.

He said the only reason the Indians were whingeing was because they were "losing every game they are playing."

"I called him a bad boy," Hayden insisted.

"He took offence to that and I thought that was quite funny."

Some guys never learn. But then nothing happens to them also so why learn anything. If they get picked up for uge sums by doing all that, they will do it more.