Jan 2002
Two Indian cricketers found themselves on the wrong foot even before they could step on the field as the Indian team arrived in New Zealand on Monday for a Test and one-day international series.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh and all-rounder Virender Sehwag were slapped with fines of NZ $200 (about Rs 5,000) by New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture, for failing to declare dirty footwear.
New Zealand, one of the world's leading agricultural exporters, is particularly sensitive to bio-security in the wake of outbreaks of foot-and-mouth and mad cow diseases.
The fear of the tropical fruit fly recently led the authorities here to spray the city of Auckland with insecticides from the air after painted apple moth entered the country accidentally, threatening the timber industry.
According to the Indian team management, Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag could have contested the fine but ran the risk of another NZ $200,000 fine if found guilty in court. Indian manager N.R. Chaudhry said the players were not upset over the incident.
A number of travellers are regularly caught at New Zealand airports for carrying dirty shoes or clothes. Airlines flying into the country are even required to show an in-flight video alerting passengers to rules prohibiting carrying such items. The arrival form also carries extensive warnings.
Singh and Sehwag are not the first sportsmen caught unawares. Members of Australia's rugby league team also copped instant fines earlier this year for the same offence.
If the two men had declared their dirty shoes they would have been taken off, cleaned at New Zealand taxpayers' expense and returned to them.
The Indian players reached here on Monday on a 47-day tour that includes two Tests and seven one-day internationals.
Soon after landing here, the team left for Christchurch where they will play an international against New Zealand on Wednesday.