Wriddhiman Saha flags journalist’s ‘threat’ tweets, BCCI to ask for his name

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

A day after Saha tweeted a screenshot of the messages from someone he described as “a respected journalist”, who appeared to be demanding an exclusive interview, The Indian Express has learnt that the BCCI will ask the cricketer to reveal the unnamed person’s identity before deciding on its course of action.

Saha, meanwhile, has received an outpouring of support from former cricketers who have expressed solidarity and urged him to reveal the journalist’s name. Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha, the Indian cricketers’ association representative, tweeted that “we will make sure our cricket community boycotts this so called journalist!”

Please name him wriddhi! I promise you as a representative of players, I will make sure our cricket community boycotts this so called journalist!! https://t.co/XmorYAyGvW

— Pragyan Ojha (@pragyanojha) February 20, 2022

On Saturday evening, Saha had posted the screenshot with a tweet: “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.”

Following the interview request, which included the line “Choose whoever can help the most”, another message from the screenshot read: “You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don’t take insults kindly. And I will remember this.”

Extremely sad. Such sense of entitlement, neither is he respected nor a journalist, just chamchagiri.
With you Wriddhi. https://t.co/A4z47oFtlD

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 20, 2022

After Saha’s post whipped up a storm on social media, Virender Sehwag tweeted: “Extremely sad. Such sense of entitlement, neither is he respected nor a journalist, just chamchagiri. With you Wriddhi.”

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 ? @BCCI @Wriddhipops @JayShah @SGanguly99 @ThakurArunS players should be protected https://t.co/sIkqtIHsvt

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) February 20, 2022

So did former off-spinner Harabhajan Singh: “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 tagged BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur in his tweet.

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 https://t.co/gaRyfYVCrs

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) February 20, 2022

Former coach Ravi Shastri chipped in. “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,” he posted.

When it is about BCCI or cricketers, we hear so many ‘sources’ from all the journalists. Can a single source tell me who this so called journalist is who has threatened Saha? #cricketwitter https://t.co/C9PRjcaNES

— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) February 20, 2022

Former India pacer R P Singh, too, backed Saha. “When it is about BCCI or cricketers, we hear so many ‘sources’ from all the journalists. Can a single source tell me who this so-called journalist is who has threatened Saha?” he tweeted.

Usually calm and impassive, 37-year-old Saha came out all guns blazing on Saturday after not being picked in the team. He told this newspaper that he was surprised at some of the statements from chief selector Chetan Sharma at the press conference after the selection committee meeting.

Sharma had told the media that it was not the end of the road for Saha and other seniors. But Saha said: “I asked him if I would be considered for the team’s next Test assignments, in England and beyond? He paused for a second or two before telling me that from now on, I wouldn’t be considered.”

Apparently, Saha’s pullout from the first round of Bengal’s Ranji fixtures was misconstrued as him losing motivation after both coach Rahul Dravid and Sharma had conveyed to him that his international days are over. But the wicketkeeper dismissed such a suggestion, saying the pullout was due to personal reasons as his wife had just recovered from a bout of dengue.

The #ICA has come out and strongly condemned ‘threat’ to #WriddhimanSahahttps://t.co/60gIIsWjS6 pic.twitter.com/1jcgqe6fEf

— Express Sports (@IExpressSports) February 22, 2022

Saha also claimed that Ganguly had sent him a WhatsApp message after his defiant 61 against Sri Lanka in Kanpur that “as long as I’m here (helming the BCCI), you would be in the team”. “Such a message from the BCCI president really boosted my confidence. What I’m struggling to understand is how things have changed so fast,” Saha said.

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) secretary Snehasish Ganguly said that Saha should have desisted from publicly commenting on a private conversation between him and the selectors or BCCI. He also said that the wicketkeeper should have played the first round of Ranji Trophy.

“This is my personal opinion, but what was communicated to him (Saha) by the chief selector or BCCI was private. He probably shouldn’t have gone public with that. Also, he could have played the Ranji Trophy. He cited personal reasons for pulling out and we have to respect that,” Snehasish told reporters on Sunday. “The door is always open for him, whenever he wants to join the squad,”

(With Shamik Chakrabarty)