BCCI committee to probe journalist’s risk to Wriddhiman Saha

The BCCI has shaped a three-member committee to probe into the allegation of Wriddhiman Saha receiving threats from a journalist, who purportedly despatched him a string of WhatsApp messages, demanding an interview. The cricket board’s vice-president Rajiv Shukla, treasurer Arun Dhumal and the BCCI Apex Council member Prabhtej Singh Bhatia represent the committee that may begin the inquiry proceedings early subsequent week.

This comes on a day when Saha dropped a touch that he is perhaps open to revealing the identify of the journalist, though for the “time being” he’s sustaining secrecy. This paper had earlier reported that the BCCI would ask Saha to disclose the id of the journalist.

“The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has today constituted a three-member committee to look into the matter of Wriddhiman Saha receiving threats and intimidation from a senior journalist. The three member committee comprises BCCI Vice-President Mr Rajiv Shukla, BCCI Treasurer Mr Arun Singh Dhumal and BCCI Apex Council Member Mr Prabhtej Singh Bhatia. The committee will start the proceedings as early as next week,” stated the cricket board launch.

Saha, the wicketkeeper-batsman, who has been dropped from the Test crew for the upcoming two matches in opposition to Sri Lanka, posted a tweet on February 19, capturing a screenshot of the messages like: “After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so called “Respected” journalist! This is the place the journalism has gone.” Another message from the unnamed journalist had stated: “You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don’t take insults kindly. And I will remember this.”

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Accordingly, the BCCI press launch said: “Saha, a centrally contracted cricketer was allegedly threatened by a senior journalist for not responding to his messages asking for an interview. Taking cognizance of the matter the BCCI got in touch with Saha and decided to constitute a three-member committee to investigate the matter.”

On Friday, throughout a dialog with The Indian Express, the 37-year-old stated, “I maintain the stand of not revealing the identity of the journalist for the time being. I said this in my other tweets as well. I can’t tell you what will happen in the future.” The dialog came about earlier than the BCCI issued the press launch.

Saha had earlier advised this paper that he wouldn’t disclose the id of the unnamed individual. “If they ask me to reveal the name (of the journalist), I would tell them it was never my intention to harm somebody’s career, to pull a person down. That’s why I didn’t reveal the name in my tweet. That’s not the teaching of my parents. The main purpose of my tweet was to expose the fact that there’s someone in the media who does such things, disrespecting a player’s wish,” he had stated.

Later, posting a sequence of tweets on February 22, he reiterated it, whereas utilizing the phrase “bullying”. “I used to be damage and offended. I assumed to not tolerate such sort of behaviour and didn’t need anybody to undergo these sort of bullying.

I made a decision I’ll exit and expose the chat in public eye, however not his/her identify”, stated the tweets, which additionally added, “My nature isn’t such that I will harm anyone to the extent of ending someone’s career. So on grounds of humanity looking at his/her family, I am not exposing the name for the time being. But if any such repetition happens, I will not hold back.”

Saha, who has performed 40 Tests and 9 ODIs, is a Grade B central contractee, with an annual retainer payment of Rs 3 crore.