Test axe to shocking threat from a journalist - The Wriddhiman Saha saga

Indian wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha's recent revelations have become a major point of debate in the Indian cricket fraternity. Ever since he was dropped from the Indian Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, Saha has made some explosive remarks regarding Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly while also slamming a journalist for sending him threatening messages for denying an interview.

Wriddhiman Saha was dropped from India's Test squad along with three other senior players - Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and Ishant Sharma for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka at home on Saturday (February 19). The exclusion didn't come as a surprise to many with the team management wanting to replace Saha with young wicket-keeper KS Bharat, who is seen as a long-term competitor for India's first-choice keeper Rishabh Pant in Tests.

After being dropped from India's Test squad, Saha went on to make some explosive revelations about his conversations with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and India head coach Rahul Dravid. Saha said Dravid told him that the team management is looking beyond him in terms of the keeper's spot in Tests and that he suggested him to consider retirement. Saha further revealed he had received an assurance from board president Ganguly in November last year that his spot in the Test team was safe as long as he was at the helm of BCCI.

"When I hit an unbeaten 61 taking a pain-killer in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur last November, Dadi (Ganguly) congratulated me over Whatsapp. He even mentioned that I should not worry about anything so long as he is at the helm of the BCCI. Such a message from the board president really boosted my confidence. But I failed to understand why everything changed so fast," Saha was quoted as saying by PTI.
 

Later on the day when the squad was announced and Saha learnt of his exclusion from the Test side, he took to Twitter to share a screenshot of his conversation with a journalist while slamming him for insulting messages. In the screenshot the journalist can be seen threatening Saha for refusing an interview with him after he was dropped from the Test squad. Support poured in for Saha from all corners as several former cricketers urged the wicket-keeper batter to name and shame the so-called journalist.

On Sunday (February 20), India head coach Rahul Dravid was asked about Saha's comments about their private conversation over his non-selecton in the Test team. Dravid, who was adressing a virtual press conference after India's 17-run win against West Indies in the third and final T20I, said he was not at all hurt by Saha's comments. Dravid said he respected Saha's contributions and that the wicket-keeper deserved clarity regarding the situation.

After massive outrage over the journalist's insulting messages to Saha, BCCI sprung into action with reports claiming that the board wanted to conduct a 'thorough investigation' into the matter. BCCI president Ganguly's conversation with Saha also came under the scanner with board official's questioning why did he assured a player of his spot in the side. BCCI treasurer Arun Dhumal said the board will ask Saha to name the journalist who had sent him those insulting messages.

On Tuesday (February 22), Saha took to Twitter once again to announce that he will not expose the journalist by naming him/her for the sake of the family, and his/her career. Saha said he wanted to put the chat in public eye to ensure no one else has to go through such hurt and bullying. However, he insisted he would keep the identity of the journalist a secret to not damage his/her career.

"My nature isnt 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 wrote in his tweet.