Australian opener Matthew Hayden has admitted being “insensitive” in making the ‘obnoxious little weed’ remark against Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh but said it was not against the spirit of cricket and did warrant a reprimand.

“I can see that my comments were insensitive but they were not intended to be denigrating and especially not contrary to the spirit of cricket,” Hayden said.

“The cricket environment I have grown up with is probably a little bit different from today,” the 37-year-old cricketer was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph.

Hayden expressed anguish at being reprimanded by Cricket Australia for his behaviour. “It saddens me that my employer has to discipline me for my behaviour,” Hayden said.

Hayden, in an interview to Brisbane Radio, had called Harbhajan “obnoxious little weed” and also invited young paceman Ishant Sharma “into a ring” for a boxing bout.

CA rules do not allow its contracted players to make comments against opponent players or the Board and hence charged Hayden with breach of its code of behaviour, although let off with only a reprimand.

Australian sporting greats have come down heavily at Cricket Australia officials, describing them as a bunch of cowards for reprimanding opener Matthew Hayden who just called “a spade a spade”. Former Test cricketer Jeff Thomson said the CA had been “politically correct.”