Following a tweet by India wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha showing a series of threatening messages by a purported journalist, the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has said that it would conduct a thorough investigation and ask him to reveal the journalist's name.
According to reports by The Times of India and The Indian Express, BCCI sources have said that the matter "would not be put to rest" until all details are uncovered. The apex cricket body will also find out if other players have been through a similar experience. "...if there is any kind of a nexus at work here, one has to look into it," an official told TOI.
On Saturday, Saha had shared a screenshot of messages from who he said was a journalist, threatening that they would never interview him again and the wicket-keeper had made a mistake.
"After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone," he tweeted.
The cricket fraternity including ex-players and coaches expressed solidarity with the 37-year-old, urging him to name the journalist.
“Shocking a player being threatened by a journo. Blatant position abuse. Something that’s happening too frequently with #TeamIndia. Time for the BCCI prez to dive in. Find out who the person is in the interest of every cricketer. This is serious coming from ultimate team man WS,” former India head coach Ravi Shastri tweeted.
Neither is he respected nor entitled, former India batter Virender Sehwag said about the purported journalist. “Extremely sad. Such sense of entitlement, neither is he respected nor a journalist, just chamchagiri. With you Wriddhi,” he said.
“Wridhi you just name the person so that the cricket community knows who operates like this. Else even the good ones will be put under suspicion… What kind of journalism is this.” Harbhajan said while also tagging BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur in his tweet.
Saha was also in the news for making public a private conversation with India head coach Rahul Dravid over his omission from the Sri Lanka home Test squad.
"Don't be shocked if you are not selected for the Sri Lanka Tests. In the meantime, if you want to take some other decision, you can do that, he quoted Dravid as telling him in an interview with ESPNCricinfo.
Dravid, however, said on Sunday that he was not hurt by Saha's comments. "I'm actually not hurt at all. I have deep respect for Wriddhi and his achievements and his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation came from that place. I think he deserved honesty and clarity," Dravid responded.
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