Harsha Bhogle Writes A FB Post On Being Dropped From IPL 9 Commentary Team And Its Straight From The Heart
Harsha Bhogle was dropped from IPL 9 commentary team. Reports claim he was dropped because he was overly critical of the Indian cricket team pitches and selection policies. Amitabh Bachchans tweet that said it would be worthy of an Indian commentator to speak more about our players than others all the time was retweeted by Dhoni with a message Nothing to add.
As news spread of Harsha Bhogle being dropped from IPL 9 commentary team, many say as a direct outcome of a tweet by Amitabh Bachchan during World T20 by and large talking about commentators who didn't speak about Indian players enough, there was unprecedented push-back from cricket fans and experts. Harsha according to other reports was dropped from the panel because he was overly critical of the Indian cricket team, pitches and selection policies. What made it worse that Amitabh Bachchan's tweet "With all due respects, it would be really worthy of an Indian commentator to speak more about our players than others all the time" was retweeted by Dhoni with a message "Nothing to add."
According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, two members of the recent Indian team had even admitted that there were discussions about his commentary in the dressing room meetings although they claimed ignorance of a formal complaint having been filed against him at any stage.
Harsha Bhogle who had chosen to be quiet about the entire affair earlier this evening wrote a heartwarming post on FB about the entire account reminding people that he was uncomfortable about the attention he was getting and that he was "just the teller, not the story itself."
This is his full post:
I must confess I am a little uncomfortable with all the attention I have been getting recently. I am just a cricket commentator. I go to a cricket match, tell the story of what happened, look for joy within it if possible and come back feeling blessed to have had the opportunity. I tell the story, I am not the story.
I am, though, deeply moved by the messages I have got. I am overwhelmed that people who don't know me have taken the trouble to express their views on the matter. Young men and women who are my children's age have offered me advice. Famous people and simple cricket lovers have gone on public platforms. And I have been particularly touched by the people who say they don't rate me as a commentator but who speak out in my favour (that you may disagree with people but fight for their right to have an opinion was an attitude injected into me very early in life).
It is an incident that tells me how much we care for the game that we hold so dear.
I don't know what lies ahead. I have a contract with Star Sports with whom I share an excellent relationship. It is the reason why I don't have to do the IPL. I do it because I genuinely like the cricket on offer, I want to be part of cricket's laboratory to see what is brewing. It is a fantastic tournament.
I still don't know why I am not doing the IPL. I haven't been told. I can accept the fact that people don't like me. But I genuinely hope it isn't because cricketers have complained about what I have to say. I tell every young cricketer who cares to listen that we will never agree on everything but I will always desire that they do well; that I cannot stop them from scoring a run, or taking a wicket or holding a catch. Doing that is their job, telling the story of what they did, or didn't, is mine. Our paths will be strewn with admiration and disagreement. It is the nature of the job whether you are a university-level cricketer or among the best there has been.
And, for heaven's sake, my greatest criticism is that I don't do enough of it. And when I do, my friend Prem Panicker isn't sure whether I have critiqued a player of proposed marriage!!
So, thank you very much. I love what I do and your words have been overwhelming.
But, I remain the teller of the story, not the story itself.
I must confess I am a little uncomfortable with all the attention I have been getting recently. I am just a cricket...
Posted by Harsha Bhogle on Monday, 11 April 2016
What do you think about the issue?
