Cricket
Wriddhiman Saha had opened up about being threatened by a journalist, after which BCCI had formed a 3-member committee for investigation.
Updated : Mar 06, 2022, 08:11 AM IST | Edited by : Karen Noronha
The case of Indian wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha has seemed to turn ugly after journalist Boria Majumdar said he will serve a legal notice for defamation on the wicketkeeper in connection with recent allegations made against him.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on February 25 had constituted a three-member committee after Saha had alleged threats and intimidation for an interview from a senior journalist.
On Saturday, the veteran keeper did not state if he had revealed to BCCI the name of the senior journalist over. "Speak with BCCI about the discussion (whether or not I have revealed the name of the journalist). They haven't really told me exactly about their decision...BCCI will answer...," Saha told ANI.
However, now, Majumdar, in a video he put out on social media, said that the WhatsApp chat that Saha posted on Twitter was a doctored version of an exchange between the two.
WATCH:
There are always two sides to a story. @Wriddhipops has doctored, tampered screenshots of my WhatsApp chats which have damaged my reputation and credibility. I have requested the @BCCI for a fair hearing. My lawyers are serving @Wriddhipops a defamation notice. Let truth prevail. pic.twitter.com/XBsiFVpskl
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) March 5, 2022
"I have told the committee everything I know. I have shared all the details with them. I can't tell you much right now. BCCI has asked me not to talk about the meeting outside as they will answer all your queries," Saha had told reporters after appearing before the board vice-president Rajeev Shukla, treasurer Arun Dhumal and IPL governing council member Prabhtej Bhatia.
Talking about the incident, it all began after Saha was dropped from the Indian team for the Test series against Sri Lanka in February. With Rishabh Pant establishing himself as India's first-choice wicketkeeper, and Srikar Bharat rising through the ranks, Saha, who has played 40 Tests, was told by head coach Rahul Dravid that the team would be moving on from him.
Not long after that, the 37-year-old was demoted from Group B (INR 3 crore salary) to Group C (INR 1 crore) of the BCCI central contracts list.
Later, the gloveman had taken to Twitter and put a screenshot saying that a "respected" journalist had sent him on WhatsApp. The words in the screenshot read that the sender had requested Saha "to do an interview with me", to which Saha did not respond.
Soon, the messages eventually took a more aggressive tone: "You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don't take insults kindly. And I will remember this. This wasn't something you should have done."
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. pic.twitter.com/woVyq1sOZX
— Wriddhiman Saha (@Wriddhipops) February 19, 2022
Soon after a three-member committee comprised of BCCI Vice-President Rajiv Shukla, BCCI Treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal and BCCI Apex Council Member Prabhtej Singh Bhatia was formed.