'Players should be protected' - Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh stand by Wriddhiman Saha over message controversy

Former Indian cricketers Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh have come out in support of Wriddhiman Saha after the wicketkeeper-batter revealed a sensational chat with a ‘respected’ journalist who disrespected him in multiple messages for not giving an interview. Even Virender Sehwag, earlier in the day, lashed out at the journalist for insulting messages to the cricketer who played for India at the international level.

Saha, while sharing his post, expressed his anguish at being spoken in an insulting way despite his contribution to Indian cricket. Saha’s tweet came after he was excluded from the squad for the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka in March alongside Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma.

Indian cricketers come in support of Wriddhiman Saha

Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh reacted angrily and urged Saha to name the journalist that threatened him, to save the other honest media persons from scrutiny. He also tagged the BCCI, President Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah and treasurer Arun Singh Dhumal and said that cricketers must be protected.

Harbhajan tweeted: “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.”

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

“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? questioned former left-arm pacer RP Singh on Twitter.

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

Earlier in the day, veteran batter Virender Sehwag also took to the micro-blogging site to share his views on the matter. He wrote, “Extremely sad. Such sense of entitlement, neither is he respected nor a journalist, just chamchagiri. With you Wriddhi.”

On Saturday, during a virtual press conference, chief selector Chetan Sharma explained why Saha was not in the Test squad. “I can’t tell you on what grounds he has been dropped. That is for the selectors only. All I can tell you is that he was told before and was asked to play the Ranji Trophy, which is the ladder for playing international cricket. What we discussed between ourselves (committee members), we can’t tell you that,” he said.