Harbhajan's fate hangs in the balance

Harbhajan Singh would have spent a sleepless Monday night wondering what Tuesday will bring. Will the BCCI come down hard on him or will they let him go with a light punishment.

Harbhajan Singh made a heart-felt plea to the BCCI appeals commissioner Sudhir Nanavati and through him to the BCCI bosses, pleading guilty and asking for one last chance.

Sources tell CNN-IBN that even Sreesanth made an appeal to go soft on Harbhajan, although Nanavati himself is refusing to reveal much.

"The law, i.e. the rules and regulations of the BCCI say that the offence for which Harbhajan Singh is charged is a level 4 offence, for which the punishment is also prescribed in the rules and regulations of the BCCI itself," said Nanavati.

The letter of the law says that it could even mean a life ban, although that is next to impossible.

Sources tell CNN-IBN that in all probability Harbhajan will be banned from five to 10 One-Day matches and be demoted to category C in the BCCI contracts list from his current B category.

"Let's not have a media discussion on what Harbhajan Singh would be punished and the amount of punishment he will get," said BCCI Chief Administrative Officer, Ratnakar Shetty.

With the support of senior players in the team as well as the Punjab Cricket Association, Harbhajan appears to be on pretty strong wicket.

Even his India coach Gary Kirsten has supported Harbhajan, saying, "In my limited experience, it appears that he only over-reacts when provoked. I don't believe he intentionally looks for trouble - but like many international cricketers, he will give as good as he receives. I hope he is able to use his unexpected 'holiday' wisely and prepare for a long year ahead. A fit and in-form Harbhajan Singh remains vital to a successful Team India."

With a fine of Rs. 3 crore already, all reports indicate that Harbhajan is now a chastened man. He knows though that his fate lies in someone else's hands.