But how is that solution even close to representing a middle ground? Kumble was essentially saying to Ponting that he would offer some sort of meaningless general apology for something that Harbhajan flatly denied doing, and that would be the end of it.
Whether Harbhajan made the comment or not is subject to conjecture. The Australians' position is that Harbhajan racially taunted Symonds in India. The claim that after the match, Symonds approached Harbhajan, explained to him why the term is so offensive, and then was given an assurance by Harbhajan that he wouldn't say the same thing again.
Given that this is the position of the Australians- and that two other Australians claimed that they heard the remark made in Sydney- why would Kumble's solution be even remotely acceptable to Ponting and his players? Kumble was asking Ponting to accept a pretty meaningless apology, that included an express denial of guilt and no sanction against Harbhajan. That isn't asking for a compromise- that's asking for a backdown.
Let's break it down to it's core. Kumble's apology would have essentially been, "We're sorry that Symonds is lying about being racially abused". I can't imagine the person that would consider that a satisfactory outcome if they were the aggrieved party. Kumble wasn't asking for a compromise- he was asking Ponting to back down.
Symonds made the claim, was backed up by two other players, and Harbhajan and his partner at the time denied it. With such a gulf in the claimed facts between the two parties, it is entirely appropriate for the issue to be decided by the mechanism that both teams agreed on before the series, that being the ICC Match Referee hearing.
By declining the suggestion that the matter be basically swept under the carpet, Ponting was backing the right of Symonds to take action when he believed he was racially abused, and backing the integrity of two of his other players when they said that they heard the incident.
No question- Ponting is never going to be up for canonisation, and he could probably improve a few aspects of his personality. But the fact that he is being lambasted for backing his players, while Kumble and the BCCI are being hailed as heroes for backing theirs, is absolutely ridiculous.
