Ponting questions Tendulkar's role in 'Monkeygate' - The ghost of 'Monkeygate' has

1/10

The ghost of 'Monkeygate' has risen again with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting questioning Sachin Tendulkar's role in the scandal, claiming that he was taken aback by the senior Indian batsman's statement which saved Harbhajan Singh.

In This Pic : Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting

Pic Courtesy : BCCL

2/10

In his memoirs -- titled 'The Close of Play' -- Ponting said he didn't understand why Tendulkar vouched for Harbhajan during the appeal hearing but did not say anything when match referee Mike Procter initially suspended the spinner for passing allegedly racial comments at all-rounder Andrew Symonds.

In This Pic : Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

3/10

"I couldn't understand why Sachin didn't tell this to (match referee) Mike Procter in the first place," Ponting, captain of Australia at that time, wrote on the role of Tendulkar, who would retire from the game after his 200th Test next month.

In This Pic : Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Harbhajan Singh, Andrew Symonds

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

4/10

Harbhajan was accused of calling Symonds a monkey during the 2008 Sydney Test and was suspended for three Tests. But he was cleared in an appeal hearing, conducted by Justice John Hansen from New Zealand, in which Tendulkar appeared as a witness and gave a statement in favour of the Indian.

In This Pic : Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Harbhajan Singh

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images

5/10

Ponting is not the first cricketer to question Tendulkar's role in the scandal as retired wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist had taken a similar view in his autobiography five years ago.

In This Pic : Ricky Ponting

Pic Courtesy : Getty Images