Wriddhiman Saha’s exchange with a journalist after he was dropped and the background of his non-inclusion for Sri Lanka series is once again the case of the BCCI being castled by a googly.
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When the Indian cricket team selection took place for Sri Lanka, the selectors left out Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, and Ishant Sharma. This was in the making. Pujara and Rahane’s inconsistency meant that the axe was going to fall on them soon. India is already planning for life after Ishant Sharma, who has been plagued with injury and lack of rhythm. With India having Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Mohammed Shami along with the two spinners, Ishant’s place was not guaranteed.
However, the case of Wriddhiman Saha’s axing has morphed into something much more complicated. Saha was expected to get the axe with Rishabh Pant doing so well. Age is also not on Saha’s side. But, what followed in the aftermath of Saha’s exclusion is once again a case of the BCCI’s miscommunication and the elitism certain journalists enjoy in the media.
Wriddhiman Saha was expected to not be picked for the series against Sri Lanka. The fact that there was already some miscommunication over his ‘non-selection’ in the Bengal Ranji Team should have been an amber warning of caution. In the aftermath of the team’s selection for Sri Lanka, a journalist messaged Wriddhiman Saha for an interview. He sweet-talked into granting him one but Saha did not respond.
Read – I do not take insults lightly – Wriddhiman Saha on Journalist Exchange
After a missed voice call, the journalist responded with the tirade that he will never interview him and he does not take insults kindly. In response, Saha tweeted about the sorry state of journalism in the country. Following Saha’s message, there was an outpouring of support for Saha from former players like Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir, and Virender Sehwag. The BCCI has now asked Saha to reveal the journalist’s name to them and due action will be taken.
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
But, this has raised concerns about the issue that journalists face because of the BCCI miscommunication. It also brings out the elite privilege that some journalists have because of their presence in all of the BCCI matches.
Being a cricket journalist in India is one of the most difficult things in the world. You have to be in the right place, right time, and in the right organization to ensure you have access to India’s elite cricketers. What can you expect from an Indian cricket board that never considered websites as media? It was only after 2012 that the rule was changed and begrudgingly, they allowed websites to cover the matches from the press box. The BCCI has already imposed a blanket ban on interviews with players. They handpick select organizations and give them access. This handpicking is part of the problem.
In this scenario, only a select few journalists get access to all the players. The others are left with just rehashes to do. A round-table is the other way of the BCCI appeasing journalists in the country. When there are only a select few in the media fraternity that is guaranteed access, a sense of entitlement will come. Saha is indeed right. Journalism, especially cricket journalism barring a few organizations, is all in a sorry state of affairs. But, Saha should be aware that the sense of privilege and entitlement is all due to the BCCI and their impractical draconian measures on both ends of the spectrum.
Saha and the Indian public might be thinking it is deja-vu all over again. It happened in the case of Sachin Tendulkar. History repeated in the case of Virat Kohli. Now, the same miscommunication syndrome that is rampant in the BCCI struck Wriddhiman Saha. The outrage is centered on the journalist rightfully, but the miscommunication angle cannot be ruled out.
In the South Africa tour, Rahul Dravid clearly told him that since he is not the first-choice keeper, he will not be considered. Chetan Sharma, the chairman of selectors, also said he will not be considered ‘from now on’. Dravid and Chetan Sharma had given clear-cut instructions. But, who stirred the hornet’s nest that shocked Saha? It was BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. When he smashed 61 in Kanpur against New Zealand despite battling injury, Ganguly reassured him that he didn’t need to worry about anything till he is there. This was confirmed on-record by Saha in an interview with ESPNCricinfo. Performance and fitness were not an issue. Yet, what changed in the series?
Right from the onset, in the case of Kohli and Tendulkar, there needed to be clear communication. But, in the case of Kohli and Saha, the communication quotient was perplexing. Saha naturally felt shocked as to what changed from Kanpur to Cape Town. Indirectly, Saha has hinted that they want him to retire.
Saha is yet another chapter in the disastrous miscommunication of the BCCI. But, the cricket journalist scenario in India is warped for the ones who have the privilege of going to the ground and having access to players. It is this privilege that has seen an ugly presence in the exchange that Saha had with that journalist. The sad thing is, that journalist is known. Already, social media has become judge, jury, and executioner.
What one needs to understand in this hour is that the BCCI needs to get better. Access to players has to be uniform and cannot be favored to one particular circle of clique or brand. A proper media cell, with clear-cut instructions for all is what common sense demands. But, the BCCI and India cricket journalists, in the passion for news and privacy, always make a mess of it.
